Description
This easy Street Corn Pasta Salad combines smoky, creamy, and fresh flavors into one quick side dish. Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry orzo
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 12 oz frozen corn
- 1 small jalapeño, minced (optional)
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 10 oz queso fresco
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and cool.
- Sauté corn in oil for ~7 minutes until lightly charred.
- Mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add pasta and corn. Toss to combine.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Top with remaining cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Equipment
All-Clad D3 3-Ply Stainless Steel 3 Quart Sauce Pan
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Mora Ceramics Small Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 2.5 & 1.6 Qt (Vanilla White)
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Substitutions:
- Parsley can be used instead of cilantro OR it can be omitted completely
- Vegetable oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil are all good options.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Cook the pasta just until al dente. Nothing ruins any pasta salad quicker than mushy, overcooked pasta. I recommend cooking the pasta for 1 minute less than the lowest recommended cooking time on the package. For example: if the package recommends 9-11 minutes, cook it for 8 minutes, then pull it off the heat and strain. Especially since this will be sitting for a bit of cooling.
If sweet corn is in season where you are, you can definitely (and quite honestly I would) use grilled corn on the cob instead of frozen corn in a pan! Husk and clean your corn, then grill the cobs to lightly char the kernels. It’ll add an entirely new dimension to your salad!
The dressing in this pasta salad is light, and might not be “creamy” by the time you eat it if you let it sit. It personally doesn’t bother me, but if you find you need to, add a couple of tablespoons of mayo and a squeeze of lime to add a little “creaminess” to it. You might also need to add some salt, so check that too.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: Mexican-American, Mexican-Inspired, Tex-Mex
