The Best of Mexico and Italy in One Bite

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Only in America can you take a food idea from Mexico and one from Italy and end up with something out of this world. This salad can be served with or without the mayonnaise based dressing, if you like, since most of the flavor comes from corn, spices and any small vegetables you can add optionally.

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Ingredients

For The Pasta Salad

• 8 oz. of pasta (any bite-size pasta shape works: penne, rotini, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, etc.)
• 2 cans of Southwestern-flavored corn (drained) OR 4 ears of grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob
• 1 bunch of cilantro, minced (for the salad)
• ½ large red onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh green chili, minced
• 1-½ cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 - 2 avocados, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled (garnish)

For The Dressing:

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup sour cream
• juice and zest of 2 limes (to your taste preference)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Ranch dressing powder mix
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
• ¼ tsp. cumin
• a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, minced, for the dressing
• ½ can (according to taste) diced jalapeño

Instructions

• Cook the pasta for about 7 minutes until al dente (the pasta should have a little bit of firmness, not soft or mushy). Drain and immediately run very cold water over the pasta until it is cooled. (Remember: Hot pasta continues to cook after it is drained. You need to stop the cooking so that the pasta does not turn out mushy. The cold water shower stops the cooking. )
• Drizzle some olive oil into the pasta to prevent sticking while you prepare the rest of the salad)
• Grill the corn (if fresh), or use canned corn. If grilling corn, when cool enough to handle, take a sharp knife and slice down each ear of corn to remove the kernels of corn.
• Prepare the dressing: In a medium-size bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste (it does need salt).Set the dressing aside or make it ahead and set it in the refrigerator until ready to toss in the pasta salad.
• In a large mixing bowl, add all of the salad ingredients except the avocado and the Cotija cheese.
• Mix in the cooled pasta.
• Add 1/2 of the dressing and gently blend into the salad ingredients. Then add the second half of the dressing, depending on how heavy you want the dressing to be.
• Add the avocado chunks on top just before serving. Then add the Cotija cheese by crumbling it in your hands and sprinkling all over the top of the salad.

Read what Roz has to say about this recipe:

https://www.italianbellavita.com/2022/04/mexican-street-corn-pasta-salad-easy-and-delicious/