20-Minute Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad
This creamy, tangy, and spicy pasta salad combines fresh corn, creamy cheese, and zesty lime for a delightful street corn-inspired dish with pasta.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker for cooking pasta
- 1 Mixing bowl for combining ingredients
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 16 oz. Rotini pasta curls that hold sauce great and add a fun twist
- 2 teaspoons Olive oil for a little slickness and flavor in the pasta water
- 4 (10 oz.) bags Frozen fire-roasted corn cooked or drained nice for smooth mixing
- 1 cup Crumbled Cotija or queso fresco cheese adds saltiness and cream
- ⅓ cup Freshly chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
- 1 cup Sour cream for creamy dressing
- ½ cup Mayonnaise creamy dressing with a little tang
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil in sauce mix for fat and shine
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- A couple pinches cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons Lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Lime zest
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- Fill your pressure cooker with water and add that 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bring it up to pressure and then toss in the rotini pasta. Cooking time is just enough to get it al dente, usually about 4 minutes under pressure.
- Use a quick release right after cooking pasta to dump that hot water fast. You sense that valve hiss letting you know pressure’s dropping quickly.
- Drain pasta well and set aside in a bowl. Then in the large mixing bowl, combine corn, Cotija cheese, and cilantro first. Gets things ready for smooth folding.
- Add sour cream, mayonnaise, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix slow but steady to get dressing even without breaking up cheese.
- Fold in the drained pasta gently so all that creamy sauce wraps around every bite. Taste and then sprinkle salt and fresh cracked pepper for that final zing.
- Chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This short waiting time lets flavors mingle more and gives the salad a cool fresh texture that’s ready to serve and wow your guests.
Notes
When you dig in, the creamy sauce wraps each little twist of rotini with a kinda tangy bite from the lime and a smoky kiss from the roasted corn. That sprinkle of Cotija cheese melts just enough to bring salt and richness without overdoing it.
This salad works real good warm or chilled and is a great quick side dish or main-course pasta salad when you want something lively and satisfying.