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Healthy Street Corn Pasta Salad

Healthy street corn salad with charred corn, cotija cheese, and cilantro folded into a creamy Greek yogurt lime dressing. Pasta shells or rotini stay tender while the corn gets lightly blackened for true elote-style flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini
  • 4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen, charred)
  • 1 lb corn kernels (fresh or frozen, charred)
  • 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • salt and pepper

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook pasta and char the corn
  1. Cook the pasta shells or rotini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool quickly and stop cooking.
  2. Heat a hot skillet until very hot, then char the corn kernels until lightly blackened, stirring occasionally so the edges blister evenly.
Make the creamy elote dressing
  1. Whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and pourable.
Assemble, chill, and finish
  1. Combine the pasta, charred corn, and diced jalapeño with half the cotija in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat so the pasta looks lightly creamy.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors meld and thicken slightly.
  4. Before serving, top with the remaining cotija and chopped cilantro for fresh, bright color and a salty finish.

Notes

For the best elote effect, char the corn in a very hot skillet until you see light blackened spots—don’t steam it. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; stir once before serving. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy dressing can separate. For a dairy-light option, use low-fat Greek yogurt and omit mayonnaise for a tangier, lighter dressing.