Mexican Street Corn (Elote), in the form of a pasta salad, is another yummy and healthy way to enjoy this tasty end-of-summer fresh corn recipe. Made with fusilli pasta, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, feta cheese, and a spicy creamy dressing, this Healthy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a lighter version (also WW friendly), inspired by my Healthy Mexican Street Corn (Elote) and my Healthy Greek Pasta Potluck Salad.
Corn was late this year (where I live) due to the cooler spring weather. Typically I'm getting corn on the cob a lot earlier in August, but this year it's running into September. I can't say I mind! I will take fresh Taber corn on the cob as long as I can 🙂 This delicious pasta salad recipe pairs well with my Grilled Maple Pork and my Weight Watchers Carrot Cake. It's the perfect side dish for late summer gatherings (dinners, BBQs, or potlucks)
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If you're looking for more ways to use up that end-of-the-year fresh sweet corn, give my Corn Stuffed Grilled Peppers and my Healthy Creamy Corn Chowder a try!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Creative and Unique. This recipe is a unique and creative way to use corn and tastes amazing!
- Healthy and Lighter! This salad is healthy and lighter than a typical Mexican corn pasta salad. It's also WW friendly at only 4 points per serving!
- Uses Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Corn. You can use fresh summer corn or use frozen corn or canned corn. You can roast the canned or frozen corn in the oven (see Variations) or put it in straight up, without roasting it. It's not just a summer recipe!
- Can be made ahead. This recipe can be made a few days in advance (see storage).
- Perfect for a Potluck. This recipe makes 12 servings so it's perfect for a potluck or gathering.
🥘Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients for this recipe:
- Sweet corn. Ideally, you'll want to use fresh grilled corn- it's the best! But you can sub canned or frozen (see variations) I use Taber corn because I'm lucky enough to live where you can get it. It's special because of the amount of sunshine the area receives and the warm days and cool nights contribute to a unique sweetness.
- Fusilli pasta. Fusilli pasta is the perfect size for this salad because you get the right amount of pasta with each bite. And because it's spiral-shaped, the spirals are great for picking up finely chopped bits like carrots, onions, etc... * You can use the whole wheat variety or Smart Pasta to reduce calories and increase fiber.
- Long English cucumber. These cucumbers have a nice crunch, with a thin delicate skin that's easy to digest.
- Cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have less acidity and are sweeter than regular tomatoes due to their high sugar content.
- Tamed jalapenos. Tamed Jalapenos have the perfect amount of spice for this recipe (and most people don't find them overpowering like regular jalapenos). They are also more convenient, as they come in a jar and last a long time in the fridge. You can also buy them any time of year in the condiment section of your grocery store. *I use Mezzatta brand
- Green onions. Green onions are milder so they add a subtle onion flavor and don't overpower the salad.
- Low-fat feta cheese. I don't use Cotija cheese, as many recipes do, because it's not commonly found in most grocery stores and it's relatively high in saturated fat. Using lighter feta cheese brings down the calories and fat content and North American feta cheese tastes similar to Cotija.
- Fresh Cilantro. Is a deal breaker! Traditional Grilled Mexican Stree Corn (Elote) is made with fresh cilantro and it's not the same without it.
- Fat-free sour cream. This is a great ingredient to reduce the fat and calories of the dressing, while still lending a rich and creamy taste and texture.
- Fresh lime juice. Gives a nice tang to the dressing.
- Lime zest. Lime zest adds an extra zing to the dressing.
- Fresh garlic. Fresh garlic elevates the dressing
- Low-fat mayonnaise. Another ingredient that's ideal for reducing calories and fat that you won't miss-it's still rich and creamy. * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- Sriracha sauce. Adds the perfect spicy flavor to the dressing.
- Chili powder Crushed red pepper. Add some textured spice
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Pasta -you can use rotini instead. Macaroni is an option too, but only as a last resort.
- Tomatoes-you could use grape tomatoes instead
- Corn- you can use frozen or canned corn- (here's how to roast frozen or canned corn). And you don't even have to do that, you can simply add the corn without roasting it. You would need to use about 3 cups of corn.
- Gluten-free - use gluten-free pasta
- Chili powder - you could use cayenne pepper instead
- Oil - you can use olive oil, canola oil or avocado oil
- Make it LESS spicy - omit the jalapenos and reduce or omit the sriracha sauce
- Green onion - you could substitute red onion
- Add-ins - you could also add bell peppers or black beans
🔪Instructions
Prep: In a pot of salted water, boil pasta to al dente, as per package instructions. Drain, cool, and set aside cooked pasta in the fridge to continue cooling.
- Step 1: Heat outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Clean the grates once it has heated. Add a little cooking oil to grill or spray a little on the corn. Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3-5 minutes or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate. Remove corn from the cobs (see HINT)
- Step 2: Make the Dressing: Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, crushed red pepper, sriracha sauce and salt together.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, mix pasta, corn, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos (chopped) green onions, cucumber cilantro and feta cheese together.
- Step 4: Then add in dressing
Lastly, mix the dressing into the salad, then transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with additional cilantro, lime wedges and parmesan cheese (if desired).
Hint: The best way (in my opinion) to cut corn off the cob, is using a bundt pan. Place your corn in the hole and slice downward with a sharp knife. Bonus: it's also less messy. Then you can use a spoon or knife to break it up into corn kernels.
*Alternatively, you could use a cutting board.
🥗 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Mexican Corn Pasta Salad:
🍽Equipment
You'll need a grill (indoor or outdoor) if you are grilling the corn for the Mexican Street Corn Salad. You will also need a sharp knife, a whisk, and a bundt pan (if you use that method to remove the corn from the cob, which I recommend).
🌡️Storage
Store leftovers of this easy Mexican Street Corn pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. However, if you want to prep it in advance, keep the dressing, pasta, corn, and vegetables in separate containers. Combine just before serving.
These ingredients don't stand up to freezing.
👪 Serving Size
This Mexica Street Corn Salad recipe makes about 15 cups, which is 12 servings @ 1.25 cups each. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 4 WW points per serving (1.25 cups) using Catelli Smart pasta.
Top tip- which pasta should I use?
Then there’s the question of which pasta to use. Whole wheat pasta is healthy but it takes a long time to cook and personally, I find it a bit too dense. I prefer to use Catelli “smart pasta” because it cooks faster than whole wheat but you still get 4X as much fiber than if you ate white pasta.
Although it’s not quite as healthy as whole wheat, you are still getting that fiber. And if you’re not a fan of whole wheat, it’s a good alternative.
You can read more about healthy pasta HERE. There are also WW friendlier versions of pasta you can use instead. Check out this WW pasta cheat sheet!
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So if you're looking for a way to enjoy the end of the summer corn (or any corn!) you will love this healthy pasta salad with all the flavors of Mexican Street Corn!
📋 Mexican Street corn pasta salad recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed (about 3 cups of corn)
- 16 oz package fusilli pasta * I use smart pasta
- ½ -long English cucumber, chopped
- 1 dry Pint -cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 tablespoon tamed jalapenos, chopped
- 3 green onion
- ¾ cup low-fat feta cheese
- 3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Dresssing ingredients
- ½ cup fat-free sour cream
- 1 teaspoon lime zest from one lime
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from one lime)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup light or fat-free mayonnaise * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- ¼ teaspoon teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp sriracha
Garnish
- Lime wedges
- Parmesan cheese
- cilantro sprigs
Instructions
- Meanwhile - Cook corn: Heat outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Clean the grates once it has heated. Add a little cooking oil to grill.Alternatively, you can use an indoor grill or char the corn on the stovetop or roast frozen corn: https://thecompletesavorist.com/how-to-roast-frozen-corn
- Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3-5 minutes or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
- Remove corn from cobs. In my opinion, the easiest way to do this is with a bundt pan (less messy too!) but you could use a cutting board instead.
- Mix pasta, corn, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos (chopped) green onions, cucumber, cilantro and feta cheese together,6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed, 16 oz package fusilli pasta, ½ -long English cucumber, chopped, 1 dry Pint -cherry tomatoes, cut in half, 2 tablespoon tamed jalapenos, chopped, 3 green onion, ¾ cup low-fat feta cheese, 3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Dressing: Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, crushed red pepper, sriracha sauce, and salt together.½ cup fat-free sour cream, 1 teaspoon lime zest from one lime
- Add dressing to salad and mix.¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from one lime), 3 cloves garlic, minced, ¼ cup light or fat-free mayonnaise * I use Hellman's ½ the fat, ¼ teaspoon teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 2 teaspoon sriracha
Garnish
- Garnish with lime wedges, parmesan cheese and sprigs of cilantro, if desired.Lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, Parmesan cheese
Nutrition
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Terri Gilson
When my daughter tried this salad she said, "that is one of the best things you've ever created!" I totally agree. Yes, it's THAT GOOD!