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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is PACKED with sweet corn and tossed in a creamy chili lime dressing. With plenty of queso fresco, bacon, jalapeño, and green onions, this flavor-packed recipe is perfect for a potluck! Can be made with frozen, fresh, or canned corn. Plus, no grilling required! For extra smoky and charred flavor without grilling, the corn is sautéed in bacon fat.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 552 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American , Mexican

Ingredients

For the Dressing:
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice and zest of one lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce I used chipotle tabasco
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
For the Pasta Salad:
  • 8 oz. farfalle pasta
  • 4 slices Bacon preferably thick cut
  • 4 cups corn frozen and thawed, fresh removed from cob, or canned and drained
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper seeded and diced finely
  • 4 green onions green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 4 oz. queso fresco crumbled, or cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix all ingredients for dressing in a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta according to directions in heavily salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Shake off as much excess water as possible.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the four slices of bacon in a heavy skillet, such as cast iron, until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to cool. Crumble when cool. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet (enough to coat the bottom).
  4. Heat the skillet with the remaining bacon grease and add the 4 cups of corn kernels. Cook over medium-high heat until starting to brown- don't stir too often. You should get nice dark color on some pieces.
  5. Add the cooked and cooled pasta, crumbled bacon, corn, jalapeño pepper, green onions, queso fresco, and cilantro to the large bowl with the dressing. Stir to combine.
  6. Serve garnished with extra cheese, cilantro, and a little bit more chili powder, if desired.

Notes

  • Make Ahead: You can make this up to two days in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Reserve half the dressing to toss with just before serving. Can be served cold.
  • As an alternative to sautéing the corn in the bacon fat, you can grill corn on the cob, which is more traditional. This is great if you're already firing up the grill for other things! Just remove the kernels from the cobs after grilling (about 5 of them) and add to the pasta salad as instructed.
  • The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.

Nutrition Information

Calories 552kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 52g (17%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 33g (51%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 34mg (11%) Sodium 443mg (18%) Potassium 391mg (11%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 637IU (13%) Vitamin C 11mg (12%) Calcium 126mg (13%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 552

% Daily Value*

Calories 552kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 52g 17%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 33g 51%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 443mg 18%
Potassium 391mg 8%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 637IU 13%
Vitamin C 11mg 12%
Calcium 126mg 13%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.