Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Printable)

Pasta tossed with charred corn, zesty lime, cotija cheese, and a creamy sauce bursting with flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or shells)
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Corn Mixture

03 - 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
04 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
07 - 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1/4 tsp ground cumin

→ Creamy Sauce

09 - 1/2 cup sour cream
10 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
11 - Zest and juice of 1 lime
12 - 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
14 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ To Finish

15 - Additional cotija cheese, for garnish
16 - Extra chili powder or Tajín, for garnish
17 - Fresh cilantro leaves
18 - Lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly charred and golden. Stir in garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin; cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove skillet from heat.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, crumbled cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Add cooked pasta and sautéed corn mixture to the bowl with the sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
05 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra cotija cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder or Tajín, fresh cilantro leaves, and lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like late-night street food elegance, the kind of dish that makes people ask for the recipe before they finish eating.
  • Everything cooks in about 35 minutes, and most of that time the pasta is just doing its thing while you char some corn.
  • The lime and chili balance is addictive without ever getting heavy, even though there's sour cream and mayo involved.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water; that starchy liquid is your secret weapon for turning a thick sauce into something silky and clingable.
  • The corn needs real heat and real patience to get those charred spots; low heat will just steam it and you'll miss the whole point.
  • Taste as you season because cotija is pretty assertive, and you don't want to end up over-salting the whole thing before you've even assembled it.
03 -
  • Don't make the sauce until right before you're ready to serve, because the lime juice will start to separate the mayo and sour cream if it sits for too long.
  • If you're cooking for someone with a dairy allergy, this is trickier to adapt, but Greek yogurt mixed with vegan mayo and nutritional yeast gives you something close to the same vibe.
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