If you’re only serving one cold side, make it count. This Mexican street corn pasta salad takes all the bold flavors of elote—charred corn, creamy dressing, chili spice, lime, cotija—and folds it into tender ditalini. Cherry tomatoes bring some heat and sweetness, and a sour cream–mayo combo keeps it cold, rich, and bright.

It’s punchy, colorful, and hits every note you want from a cookout side.

Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

  • 1 lb ditalini pasta

  • 4 bags frozen corn (mix of charred corn and super sweet corn if possible)

  • 1 package cherry tomatoes (roasted and torched if available)

  • Zest and juice of 1 lime

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • ½ cup Duke’s mayo

  • ½ tsp granulated garlic

  • ½ tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • ¾ cup cotija cheese

  • ¾ cup queso fresco

  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)

  • Salt to taste

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

  1. Cook and chill the pasta
    Boil ditalini in salted water until just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let it chill completely.

  2. Roast the cherry tomatoes
    Roast the tomatoes at 400°F until softened and slightly blistered. If you have a blow torch, hit them afterward to deepen the char and concentrate their flavor.

  3. Combine dressing ingredients
    In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayo, lime zest and juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder until smooth.

  4. Fold everything together cold
    Add the chilled pasta, corn (no need to cook if using frozen), roasted tomatoes, cheeses, chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Garnish with extra cilantro and cotija before serving.

Recipe Notes for Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mix and match the corn

Using a blend of charred corn and sweet corn gives you a duality of flavors that pushes this pasta salad forward. The sweet corn keeps it fresh and snappy, while the charred corn adds smokiness and depth. Together, they let the corn stay center stage—bright, bold, and unmistakable—even with all the other big flavors in the bowl.

Roasted tomatoes aren’t just for color

When you roast—and ideally torch—the tomatoes, you concentrate their sweetness and add some smoky bitterness. That rounds out the creamy base and cuts through the richness with brightness and a little char.

Cotija and queso fresco: better together

Cotija brings the salty funk, queso fresco adds a soft, milky contrast. One melts, the other crumbles. Together they give the salad body, salt, and just enough tang to hold up against the creamy dressing.