Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Printable)

Creamy pasta with charred corn, cotija cheese, and zesty lime spices

# Ingredient list:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces penne or rotini pasta
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (3–4 ears fresh corn)
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

06 - ½ cup sour cream
07 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
08 - ¼ cup whole milk
09 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
10 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
13 - 1 teaspoon lime zest
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Toppings

15 - ¾ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - Extra chili powder or Tajín for garnish
18 - Lime wedges for serving

# Cooking steps:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
02 - Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn and sauté 4–5 minutes until lightly charred. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
03 - Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, lime juice, and lime zest. Season with salt and pepper.
04 - Add cooked pasta and corn mixture to bowl with sauce. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed for creamy consistency.
05 - Stir in half the cotija cheese and half the cilantro until evenly distributed.
06 - Serve warm, topped with remaining cotija, cilantro, extra chili powder or Tajín, and lime wedges.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • Its the love child of comfort food and street food, hitting satisfaction buttons you didnt know existed
  • The sauce clings to every pasta curve, ensuring no bland bites in the entire bowl
02 -
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon for rescuing a sauce thats too thick
  • This dish needs to be eaten warm rather than piping hot, let it rest about 5 minutes after tossing
03 -
  • Use a box grater to remove corn kernels from the cob quickly and cleanly
  • Zest your lime before juicing it, its much harder to do afterward
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