Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
by Cary KellyElote is Mexican Street Corn, a rich delicious treat found on antojito carts in Mexico City. The flavors of sweet corn, spicy chile, tart lime and creamy mayonnaise make it a sought after "little craving."
I have adapted those flavors to a pasta salad. The flavors meld well with pasta, a Tex Mex infused olive oil and a mayo-based dressing. Some crunchy lettuce tossed in makes it a perfect way to enjoy sweet summer corn.
Category
Salad
Servings
4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Author:
Cary Kelly
Elote is a popular antojito, or small craving, in Mexico City’s streets. The corn is roasted and slathered with mayonnaise, lime, and chili. Served on a stick, it is a perfect and very tasty treat.
I have created a summer pasta salad that captures those flavors using ripe summer corn roasted in a skillet along with a warm spicy dressing.
Top with grilled chicken for a complete meal. Or, easily make this a vegan dish by substituting vegan mayo and topping with grilled tofu. Nutritional yeast can replace the cojito cheese.
Ingredients
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1/2 lb dry pasta
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3 ears of corn, stripped
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10 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
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1 red pepper, roasted
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1 bunch of lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
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4 Tbl mayonnaise
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2 Tbl Tex Mex infused Olive Oil
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2 Tbl fresh lime juice and zest of two limes
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1 Tsp Tajine spice (or chile powder)
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Salt
Directions
Roast the pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Cut pepper in half and remove stems, seeds and membranes
Lay peppers on foil lined baking sheet, cut side down
Roast the peppers for 15-20 minutes (time varies by size of your pepper) until they are blackened and soft.
Remove from the oven and put pepper in a bowl; cover with the foil that lined the baking sheet (this is to re-use the foil). Allow to set 10-15 minutes. This allows the skin to further release from the pepper
Slip the skins off. They will come off quite easily, although you may need to gently rub in some places. Remove as much skin as you can.
Cut the roasted pepper into small pieces. This can be done up to a week ahead of time. You do want the peppers to be cool for your salad.
Prepare the Corn
Shuck your corn and, using a sharp knife or corn zipper, remove the kernels from the cob.
In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tsp of your Tex Mex Olive Oil. Once hot, add the corn and a pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring, until the "milk" evaporates and the corn is slightly brown.
Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Set aside and allow to cool.
Prepare the Dressing
Put mayonnaise, lime juice, salt and spice in your large salad bowl.
Whisk the olive oil into the mixture until smooth. It will look curdled at first, that is just the lime mixing with the mayonnaise.
Whisking will emulsify it all into a smooth dressing. Taste for salt.
Final Touch
Add the pasta and lettuce to the bowl and gently toss in the dressing. Layer on the tomatoes, corn and pepper. Toss all together to distribute the dressing.
Taste for salt. Garnish with a heap of chopped cilantro and the zest of one lime.
Top with grilled chicken for a complete meal