Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad (Printable Version)
Corn, pasta, black beans, and herbs blended with creamy chili-lime dressing for a flavorful side.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 -
200 g mini bowtie pasta, uncooked
02 -
450 g frozen corn, or use canned/charred/prepared as desired
03 -
3 green onions, finely diced (approx. 30 g)
04 -
15 g fresh cilantro, finely diced (approximately 1/2 bunch)
05 -
1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeño
06 -
8 slices bacon, cooked and finely diced
07 -
35 g cotija cheese, crumbled (approx. 1/3 cup)
08 -
1 large avocado, diced
09 -
120 g canned black beans, drained and rinsed (approx. 1/2 cup)
→ Dressing
10 -
120 ml mayonnaise
11 -
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
12 -
1/4 teaspoon paprika
13 -
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
14 -
1 teaspoon Sriracha
15 -
2 large limes (use for 1/4 tsp zest and 3 tbsp juice, approximately 45 ml juice in total)
16 -
Salt, to taste
17 -
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 -
Bring 3 litres of water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large pot. Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water. Shake off any excess water and allow pasta to dry completely.
02 -
If using frozen corn, char in a hot pan with 2 tablespoons butter for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant. If using fresh corn, grill at 200°C, rotating every 3 minutes until browned; let cool and slice kernels from cobs. Alternatively, drained canned corn may be charred in a skillet, or simply used as is.
03 -
Finely dice green onions, cilantro, and jalapeño. Cook bacon until crisp, then cool and finely dice. Drain and rinse black beans. Dice avocado just before assembly to prevent browning.
04 -
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, Sriracha, 1/4 teaspoon lime zest, and 45 ml fresh lime juice. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, adjusting seasoning to taste. Chill until ready to use.
05 -
In a large bowl, gently toss together cooled pasta, prepared corn, diced avocado, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, bacon, black beans, and cotija cheese. If making in advance, wait to add bacon, cheese, and avocado until serving for best texture.
06 -
Drizzle salad with prepared dressing and toss gently until evenly coated. Serve immediately for optimal freshness.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
For best texture, store the components and dressing separately if preparing in advance. Add bacon, cheese, and avocado just before serving.
02 -
To quickly defrost and char frozen corn, add to the boiling pasta water during the final minute, then drain and dry.