Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Printable version)

Pasta tossed with sweet corn, cotija cheese, lime zest, and a touch of chili in a creamy sauce.

# 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 (plus extra for garnish)
13 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - Salt and freshly ground black 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 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté until lightly charred and golden, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin; cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
03 - In a large 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 sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
05 - Plate immediately, garnishing with additional cotija cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder or Tajín, fresh cilantro leaves, and lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and restaurant-worthy but comes together in under 35 minutes with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The combination of crispy charred corn, creamy sauce, and salty cotija cheese is addictively good and feels like a total flavor upgrade from plain pasta.
  • It's vegetarian, naturally colorful, and impressive enough to serve to guests without feeling like you spent all day in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip charring the corn; those caramelized bits are where the real flavor lives, and they make the difference between good and unforgettable.
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining—it's full of starch and helps the sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Taste and season the creamy sauce before you add the pasta; it's much easier to adjust salt and lime now than to fix it after everything is mixed together.
03 -
  • If you can't find cotija cheese, feta works in a pinch and brings similar saltiness, though the flavor profile shifts slightly toward Mediterranean instead of Mexican.
  • For extra depth, try grilling fresh corn before cutting the kernels off, or charring canned corn in a dry pan to develop caramelization that tastes almost as good as the real thing.
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