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Grilled street corn pasta salad in a serving bowl

Grilled Street Corn Pasta Salad

An easy grilled street corn pasta salad loaded with charred sweet corn, roasted poblano, Cotija cheese, cilantro, green onion, and a creamy chili-lime dressing. Grilling the vegetables gives this crowd-friendly pasta salad real backyard flavor, making it perfect for Labor Day, summer cookouts, potlucks, and BBQ dinners.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 360 kcal

Equipment

  • Grill
  • Large pot
  • Colander
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Grill tongs
  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board
  • Whisk
  • Citrus zester
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
  

PASTA & GRILLED VEGETABLES

  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 5 ears fresh sweet corn husks removed
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other high-heat neutral oil
  • Kosher salt for pasta water

CHILI-LIME DRESSING

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 2 limes
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated or minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

TO FINISH

  • 3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for serving
  • 4 green onions thinly sliced
  • Hot sauce or Tajín optional
  • Lime wedges optional

Instructions
 

Preheat the grill.

  • Heat the grill to approximately 450–500°F for direct grilling.

Cook the pasta.

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini until tender but not mushy, following the package directions. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water. Allow it to drain thoroughly.

Prepare the vegetables.

  • Lightly coat the corn, poblano, and jalapeño with avocado oil.

Grill the corn.

  • Place the corn directly over the heat and cook for approximately 8–10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until several sides develop browned and lightly charred patches.

Grill the peppers.

  • Grill the poblano and jalapeño alongside the corn for approximately 6–8 minutes, turning as necessary, until blistered and softened.

Grill one lime.

  • Cut one lime in half and place it cut-side down on the grill for 1–2 minutes, just until lightly caramelized. Do not allow it to burn.

Cool the vegetables.

  • Transfer the corn, peppers, and grilled lime to a cutting board and let them cool until they can be handled safely.

Prepare the peppers.

  • Remove the stems and seeds from the poblano and jalapeño. Remove any loose, heavily blackened skin from the poblano, then dice both peppers.

Cut the corn.

  • Stand each cob upright on the cutting board and carefully slice the grilled kernels from the cob.

Make the dressing.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Mexican crema or sour cream, zest from the remaining fresh lime, juice from the grilled lime and fresh lime, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper.

Build the salad.

  • Add the cooled pasta, grilled corn, poblano, jalapeño, Cotija cheese, cilantro, and green onions to a large mixing bowl.

Dress the pasta.

  • Pour the chili-lime dressing over the salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.

Chill.

  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Finish and serve.

  • Stir the pasta salad again and taste for seasoning. Add additional lime juice or salt if needed. Finish with extra Cotija, cilantro, green onion, hot sauce, Tajín, or lime wedges as desired.

Notes

Fresh summer corn gives this recipe the best texture and grilled flavor, but approximately 4 cups of frozen corn can be substituted.
If using frozen corn, char it in a hot cast-iron skillet or on a flat-top griddle instead of trying to grill loose kernels directly over the grates.
Remove the jalapeño seeds and membrane for milder heat. Leave some intact if you want a little more kick.
Feta cheese can be substituted for Cotija if Cotija is difficult to find.
Do not heavily burn the lime. A quick caramelization is enough. Heavily charred citrus can become bitter.
This pasta salad can be prepared several hours ahead or the night before.
If the salad becomes thick after chilling overnight, stir in a spoonful of crema or a squeeze of fresh lime instead of adding a large amount of extra mayonnaise.
Hold back a small amount of Cotija, cilantro, and green onion to garnish the salad immediately before serving for the freshest appearance.
Keep the pasta salad refrigerated or properly chilled until serving.
Cold perishable foods should be kept at 40°F or below whenever possible. Without proper cold holding, refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when outdoor temperatures are above 90°F.
Estimated Nutrition Per Serving:
Calories: 360 kcal
Protein: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 46 g
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Sodium: 390 mg
Sugar: 6 g
Fiber: 4 g
Nutrition information is estimated and will vary depending on the specific pasta, mayonnaise, crema, Cotija cheese, and serving size used.
Keyword BBQ side dish, cookout pasta salad, elote pasta salad, grilled corn pasta salad, Labor Day side dish, Mexican street corn pasta salad, street corn pasta salad, summer pasta salad