This Elotes Pasta Salad is perfect for summer meal prep, picnics and family BBQs. Inspired by Mexican street corn, it's full of fresh flavors!
If you've ever had traditional Elotes, aka Mexican grilled street corn, you KNOW how delicious it is. The combination of sweet corn, tangy lime juice, a little chili and creamy cotija cheese is truly unmatched. This Elotes pasta salad is inspired by those flavors that I know and love. It's not traditional, but like my Mexican street corn chicken salad, it's a fun recipe loosely inspired by Elotes.
Both pasta salad and Elotes scream summer, so it only felt right to combine them into one delicious dish. This Elotes pasta salad has all of the best parts of Elotes, and it's also super balanced. We have lots of protein, fibre and healthy fats, making this a flavorful and satiating lunch.
Make it for a summer meal prep lunch, potluck, picnic or BBQ. I guarantee everyone will love it!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Perfect for meal prep. Pasta salads store well in the fridge and don't get soggy.
- Balanced and nutritious. We have protein, fiber and healthy fats, making it a great option for a full meal or easy addition to any meal or potluck.
- Fresh and vibrant flavours. Perfect for warm weather and summer!
Ingredients
For the salad:
Pasta. I like using ditalini pasta for a small pasta shape, ensuring you are getting a bite of everything in every spoonful. Any small pasta will work the same.
Corn. You can use fresh or frozen corn. Trader Joe's also has a frozen bag of fire roasted corn that would be a super easy addition.
Red bell pepper. This adds a bit of colour and a mild sweetness, plus some fiber and vitamin C.
Jalapeno. For a little spice! Don’t forget to remove the seeds if you don't like a lot of spice.
Cilantro. This is one of my favorite fresh herbs to add to lighten up any dish.
Cotija cheese. A classic Mexican cheese! I found it in the specialty cheese aisle of my grocery store near where the feta is. Just make sure you are using soft cotija or you will not be able to crumble it.
Black beans. For added plant-based protein and fiber! You may also use pinto beans or kidney beans.
Red onion. This adds the perfect amount of spice, without being overpowering.
Avocado. Not only is avocado a great source of fiber and healthy fats, but its creamy consistency really brings this Elotes pasta salad together.
Chicken sausage. This is an optional extra protein source. However if you would like this to be a side dish as opposed to a whole meal, feel free to omit the sausage.
For the dressing:
Greek yogurt. I always use Greek yogurt in the base of my creamy dressings as it's a great way to add additional protein while also helping to decrease the fat content. Any fat percentage will work just to ensure it is PLAIN.
Mayonnaise. This adds a bit more creaminess while also helping to reduce the bitterness of the dressing. You only need a little bit and it mixes so well with the yogurt.
Olive oil. This balances out the flavour while creating the perfect consistency.
Lime. We use both lime juice and zest in this recipe for the ultimate tangy, zesty flavour.
Spices. Chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper are the only spices you will need.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- In a mason jar or medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Cook sausage by carefully removing the casing and adding to a large preheated pan. Gently use a spatula to break up the sausage, stirring until no longer pink in colour and fully cooked.
- To char your corn: to a large pan over medium-high heat add olive oil. Once hot add corn (if using frozen you can add it directly to the pan), bell peppers and jalapeno. Season with salt. Stir and arrange in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, stirring occasionally to allow to cook for about 5 minutes until nicely brown and charred on all sides.
- To assemble the salad: to a large bowl add cooked pasta, charred corn mix, cooked sausages, red onion, black beans, cilantro, avocado and cheese. Drizzle with southwest dressing and toss to combine!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: use a gluten-free pasta.
To make dairy-free: swap the yogurt for equal parts mayo or a thick dairy-free yogurt. The cotija cheese can be replaced with a dairy-free substitute like the one from Miyoko's Creamery.
To make vegetarian: omit the sausage and replace with either additional black beans or kidney beans or plant-based meatless crumble for additional protein.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
You can get creative with the mix-ins!
- For more color, add green and yellow bell peppers and serve over arugula or spinach
- For a spicier salad, add additional jalapeno.
- For added fiber, replace the sausage with additional black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans
- For added flavour add a sprinkle of tajin and additional cotija on top for serving
Equipment
- Vegetable chopper (optional)
- Mixing bowl
Storage
With the sausage, this salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Without the sausage, the salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
Top Tips for Success
I like to serve my Elotes pasta salad over a bed of arugula for additional leafy greens.
Use a produce chopper to help decrease prep time by creating equal sized jalapenos, red onion, bell peppers and avocados.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes of course! Any protein option will work great. I think grilled or shredded chicken would perfectly complement the flavours. For a vegetarian option, you could also use beans.
No it doesn’t! Thanks to the addition of lime in the dressing it helps to stop the browning process of the avocado, helping to keep it fresher for longer.
No! You can add the frozen corn directly to the pan. However, if you are using frozen fire roasted corn, (Trader Joes has some) then all you need to do is defrost it and you can add it directly to the bowl.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you love pasta salad as much as me, try these recipes:
- Creamy Ranch Protein Pasta Salad
- Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
- Thai Spring Roll Pasta Salad
- Healthy Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this Elotes pasta salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Elotes Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Juice of 2 limes
- Zest of 1 lime
For the salad:
- 2 cups uncooked ditalini pasta or any small pasta of choice
- 1 lb mild italian chicken sausages or any protein of choice
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh jalapeno finely diced (seeds removed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado diced
- ⅓ cup crumbled soft cotija cheese see notes
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- In a mason jar or medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
To make the salad:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Cook sausage by carefully removing the casing and adding to a large preheated pan. Gently use a spatula to break up the sausage, stirring until no longer pink in colour and fully cooked.
- To char your corn: to a large pan over medium-high heat add olive oil. Once hot add corn (if using frozen you can add it directly to the pan), bell peppers and jalapeno. Season with salt. Stir and arrange in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, stirring occasionally to allow to cook for about 5 minutes until nicely brown and charred on all sides.
- To assemble the salad: to a large bowl, add cooked pasta, charred corn mix, cooked sausages, red onion, black beans, cilantro, avocado and cheese. Drizzle with southwest dressing and toss to combine!
Shauna Whyte says
Love this salad. Such a good lunch recipe !
Shannelle De Croos says
Made this recently! Perfect summer lunch- no oven needed and it lasted for 5 days in the fridge. I also subbed for cottage cheese for even more protein:)
Jenna D says
This salad is delicious and keeps so well in the fridge for lunch all week! I love how flexible these recipes are - I did riff a bit with the pasta and protein based on what I had on hand (chickpea orzo and skirt steak), and it was still amazing 😍
Whitley says
Do you think this would be good with quinoa? Have you tried any other noodle!
Thank you, your recipes are so delicious!!!
Nicole Addison says
Hi Whitley! Yes! Quinoa would be an amazing option, I have made this recipe with other pastas and they all work great but I would recommend a smaller pasta/ grain such as orzo or pearl couscous (or quinoa)for the optimal salad!
Nicole Addison says
I was inspired to make this after being in Mexico earlier this month and it is BY FAR my favourite pasta salad I have ever made! Fresh, flavourful but still filling this is a winner! I hope you enjoy:)
Katrina Taylor says
This recipe was phenomenal! Whole family loved it. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I see in the pictures/ Tt video that red onion is used but I couldn’t find it anywhere in the recipe! I used one red onion (uncooked) and it was yummy but would love to have it listed in the ingredients/steps so I remember to include in the future! Thanks for sharing though, such a good recipe (especially the dressing!)