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Healthy Street Corn Pasta Salad

Healthy street corn salad with elote-style charred corn and creamy Greek yogurt dressing. Pasta shells or rotini are tossed with jalapeño, cotija, cilantro, and lime, then chilled for a thicker, flavor-forward bite.
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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 and corn base
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini
  • 4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 jalapeño diced
Creamy elote-style dressing
  • 0.5 cup Greek yogurt
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese crumbled
  • 0.25 cup cilantro chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and char
  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Char the corn in a hot cast iron skillet until lightly blackened, tossing as needed so kernels roast evenly.
Make dressing
  1. Whisk Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and pourable.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, charred corn, jalapeño, and half the cotija in a large bowl and stir until evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat so the pasta looks lightly glossy.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour so flavors meld and the dressing thickens slightly.
  4. Top with the remaining cotija and cilantro before serving for fresh color and a salty finish.

Notes

For best texture, rinse pasta well with cold water so it doesn’t clump while chilling. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the salad can be frozen only if you accept softer pasta after thawing (not recommended). For a lighter option, replace mayonnaise with extra Greek yogurt to reduce fat while keeping the tangy lime profile.