Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Printable Version)

Vibrant creamy pasta with sweet corn, cotija cheese, lime zest, and a touch of chili.

# 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)
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
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
14 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ To Finish

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

# Steps:

01 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain, and set 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 sauce. Toss gently to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
05 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra cotija cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder or Tajín, fresh cilantro leaves, and lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like late summer in a bowl, but comes together faster than you'd think.
  • The cotija cheese gives you that salty, crumbly texture that makes every bite feel indulgent without being heavy.
  • You can throw it together on a weeknight or impress people at a casual dinner—it handles both with ease.
02 -
  • Don't skip charring the corn—those golden bits and slight char are where the magic happens and what separates this from plain corn pasta.
  • Taste the sauce before you mix it with the pasta, because once everything is combined, it's harder to adjust seasoning and you might regret underseasoning it.
03 -
  • Keep that pasta water—it's your secret weapon for adjusting sauce consistency and helps it cling to the pasta better than it would otherwise.
  • Toast your spices in the pan for just a moment after adding the garlic so they bloom and release their full flavor before you take it off heat.
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