Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Print View)

Creamy pasta meets Mexican street corn with cotija cheese, lime, and zesty spices in this easy 35-minute weeknight favorite.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

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

→ Toppings

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

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook penne or rotini according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water, and set aside.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté 4–5 minutes until lightly charred. Add minced garlic and cook 1 additional minute.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, lime juice, and lime zest. Season generously with salt and pepper.
04 - Add cooked pasta and sautéed corn to the bowl with sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve creamy consistency.
05 - Fold in half the cotija cheese and half the chopped cilantro until evenly distributed.
06 - Plate warm pasta and top with remaining cotija, cilantro, extra chili powder or Tajín, and fresh lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Each bite delivers that perfect balance of sweet charred corn against tangy lime and creamy sauce that will make you close your eyes with that first forkful.
  • Its become my go-to potluck dish because it tastes just as amazing at room temperature as it does warm, so no stressing about keeping it hot.
02 -
  • After burning the corn beyond recognition the first time, I discovered that medium-high heat is perfect - hot enough to char but not so hot that the butter burns before the corn caramelizes.
  • The pasta water is absolutely crucial to the sauce texture - I once skipped this step and ended up with a thick, gloppy mess instead of the silky coating this dish deserves.
03 -
  • For an extra layer of flavor, grill whole corn cobs before cutting off the kernels - those caramelized bits add incredible depth that cant be achieved in a skillet.
  • Warm your serving bowl in the oven on low heat before adding the finished pasta, which keeps everything at the perfect temperature longer and helps the sauce stay creamy.
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