Some dishes were simply born to be passed around a picnic table. This one takes everything we love about Mexican street corn — the char, the creaminess, the lime, the salty crumble of Cotija — and folds it into a pasta salad you can throw together in twenty minutes flat.

This recipe comes from Kylie at Midwest Foodie, where her 20-Minute Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad has earned a perfect five-star rating and hundreds of thousands of shares. All photography belongs to Midwest Foodie. We've adapted it here for the Efinity Living kitchen — for the original recipe, full nutrition details, and more of Kylie's easy family-style cooking, visit the original post.

If elote is the showstopper of summer street food, this pasta salad is its make-ahead, feed-a-crowd cousin. Kylie describes it as a Midwestern twist on the Mexican classic — not an authentic elote, but a quick, pantry-friendly salad that borrows its best flavors. The dressing leans on sour cream and mayo for body, brightened with plenty of lime zest and juice, and warmed up with chili powder, garlic powder, and a whisper of cayenne. Tossed with fire-roasted corn and fresh cilantro, it's tangy, creamy, and just smoky enough.

"Fire-roasted corn, perfectly al dente pasta, and a creamy chili-lime dressing — this is the side dish summer dreams are made of."

White marble counter top with ingredients to make street corn pasta salad
Photo courtesy of Midwest Foodie
What You'll Need
Ingredients
Adapted from Midwest Foodie · Yields 10 servings
The Salad
  • Rotini pasta16 oz
  • Olive oil (for tossing the pasta)2 tsp
  • Frozen fire-roasted corn, cooked per package (or 3 × 15 oz cans corn, drained)4 × 10 oz bags
  • Cotija or queso fresco, crumbled1 cup
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)⅓ cup
Creamy Chili-Lime Dressing
  • Sour cream1 cup
  • Mayonnaise½ cup
  • Olive oil2 tbsp
  • Chili powder1 tsp
  • Garlic powder½ tsp
  • Cayenne peppera couple pinches
  • Fresh lime juice3 tbsp
  • Lime zest2 tsp
  • Kosher salt & fresh cracked pepperto taste

How to Make It

  1. 01
    Cook and Cool the Pasta

    Boil the rotini in generously salted water just until al dente — pull it a minute early rather than a minute late. Drain, toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and let it cool to room temperature. A quick rest in the fridge speeds things along if you're short on time.

  2. 02
    Whisk the Dressing

    In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and the lime zest and juice. Add a couple of generous pinches of salt and pepper, then whisk until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy. Taste it — it should be tangy and bright with a gentle heat at the finish.

  3. 03
    Build the Salad

    In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, the corn, the crumbled Cotija, and the chopped cilantro. If you're using frozen fire-roasted corn, cook it according to the package first and let it cool; canned corn just needs a good drain.

  4. 04
    Dress and Toss

    Pour most of the dressing over the salad — hold a little back — and toss until every spiral of pasta is coated. The ridges of the rotini are doing important work here, catching all that chili-lime cream.

  5. 05
    Plate and Garnish

    Transfer the salad to a serving platter, drizzle the reserved dressing over the top, and finish with a flurry of fresh cilantro and a little extra Cotija. Serve chilled or at room temperature — it's a crowd-pleaser either way.

Large bowl filled with creamy street corn pasta salad
Photo courtesy of Midwest Foodie

Make It Your Own

This salad is endlessly forgiving. No Cotija at the store? Queso fresco or even feta steps in beautifully. Sweet corn in season? Skip the freezer aisle entirely — fresh kernels cut straight from the cob need no cooking at all, and leftover grilled corn is even better. A dusting of Tajín over the finished platter adds that signature zesty elote pop.

Pair it with grilled brats, pulled pork sandwiches, or tacos, and you've got the kind of backyard spread people remember. For the original recipe — and dozens more easy family dinners and sides — head over to Midwest Foodie.

Notes & Tips

Making it a day or more ahead? Hold the Cotija until just before serving — it soaks up the dressing as it sits and can leave the salad dry. Toss with half the dressing up front, then add the rest plus the cheese right before it hits the table.

Salt your pasta water well. Roughly 2 tablespoons of kosher salt in the pot is the first layer of seasoning in the whole dish — the water should taste like the sea.

Al dente or bust. Mushy pasta is the fastest way to ruin a pasta salad. Start tasting a minute before the package's earliest recommended time and drain the moment it has a pleasant bite.

Leftovers keep 4–5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Revive them with a splash of extra dressing or half-and-half, then re-season with salt and pepper before serving.

Recipe credit: Adapted from the 20-Minute Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad by Kylie at Midwest Foodie. Find the original at midwestfoodieblog.com.