Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant pasta salad with roasted corn, spicy cheddar, fresh herbs, and creamy chili butter and lime mayo dressings.

# What You Need:

→ Creamy Cheese Dressing

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→ Salad Components

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→ Chili Butter

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→ Lime Mayo Dressing

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# Steps:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, olive oil, grated garlic, chopped chives, and crumbled cotija. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and set aside.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente per package instructions. Drain well. While warm, toss pasta with the creamy cheese dressing in the salad bowl. Add shredded romaine, roasted corn, diced spicy cheddar, torn basil, chopped cilantro, and diced avocado. Gently toss until evenly coated.
03 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter until golden and fragrant. Stir in chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne to taste, and salt. Let spices bloom for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, and pinch of salt until smooth.
05 - Serve salad warm or chilled. Drizzle with lime mayo and spoon over spicy chili butter just before serving. For best flavor, let salad sit 10-15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Pointers:

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  • The dual dressing situation creates layers of flavor that make every bite interesting
  • It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after sitting for a bit
  • The spicy cheddar and cotija combo is the kind of saltycreamy punch people obsess over
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  • The pasta absorbs the dressing as it sits, so what looks like too much sauce initially is actually perfect after resting
  • Avocado will brown if you cut it too far aheadadd it right before serving or toss it in a little lime juice first
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  • Grill your corn directly on the grates until charred in spotsit adds this incredible smoky depth
  • Let the chili butter cool slightly before drizzling so it doesn't wilt the fresh herbs
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