Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Printable Version)

Creamy pasta with sweet corn, cotija cheese, lime, and chili flavors in a vibrant, saucy dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or shells)
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Corn Mixture

03 - 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned; about 3 ears if fresh)
04 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
07 - 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1/4 tsp ground cumin

→ Creamy Sauce

09 - 1/2 cup sour cream
10 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
11 - Zest and juice of 1 lime
12 - 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (plus extra for garnish)
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
14 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ To Finish

15 - Additional cotija cheese, for garnish
16 - Extra chili powder or Tajín, for garnish
17 - Fresh cilantro leaves
18 - Lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set the pasta aside.
02 - Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly charred and golden. Add garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin; cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
04 - Add cooked pasta and sautéed corn mixture to the bowl with the sauce. Toss until evenly coated, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
05 - Plate immediately and garnish with additional cotija cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder or Tajín, fresh cilantro leaves, and lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours perfecting it, but comes together in under 35 minutes.
  • The lime and cotija create this addictive brightness that keeps you reaching for another bite.
  • One dish, minimal cleanup, and somehow everyone at the table feels like they're eating something special.
02 -
  • Don't skip charring the corn; those golden, slightly blackened bits are what make this taste like it came from a vendor, not a box.
  • The sauce needs that pasta water to work properly—it transforms from thick to glossy in seconds, and that's the texture you want.
  • Cotija is worth seeking out, but if your store genuinely doesn't carry it, feta will do the job, though the flavor shifts slightly more toward Mediterranean.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining, and add it in small amounts; you can always add more, but you can't take it back out.
  • Toast the spices for a few seconds in the butter before adding corn; it releases the oils and deepens the flavor substantially.
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