If I had to, I don’t know if I could choose between Mexican street corn or pasta salad. Truly they are some of the best dishes to bring to a summer BBQ, potluck or summer picnic. But today you’re in luck because these two summer recipes come together in one delicious new gluten free pasta salad with spicy creamy dressing, charred corn and fresh crunchy lettuce.
This mexican street corn pasta salad has 3 main ingredients, a delicious homemade dressing and can be made in less than 20 minutes!
If you love easy recipes made with gluten free pasta, you’ll love this protein pasta salad, this green olive pasta and this creamy dairy free chicken pasta.
What is Mexican Street Corn?
Elote, or Mexican street corn, is grilled corn on the cob that has been slathered with lime, cotija cheese, chili powder and mayo. In this recipe, we’re using the same ingredients but mixing it with pasta!
Why You’ll Love this Gluten free Recipe
- This mexican street corn pasta salad makes for the perfect comfort easy lunch idea, meal prep, or even for a great side dish!
- This mexican street corn pasta salad is allergy friendly. You can use gluten free pasta like I did for gluten free pasta salad.
- This is a super fast and easy recipe. It can be made in less than 20 minutes. Perfect for a last mintue lunch or to bring to a BBQ.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Gluten free pasta: I always use gluten free pasta made fully or partially from brown rice since it holds up the best. See my notes below on how to make the perfect gluten free pasta.
Corn: This is definitely a dealers choice but you can use canned or fresh corn in this mexican street corn pasta salad. I like to use whatever I have on hand. You can buy regular canned corn and then roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop getting it charred. To go more of the authentic route, grill the fresh corn on the grill or stovetop until lightly charred. This will yeild a fresher taste.
Lettuce: I used romaine lettuce in this recipe because I like the crunch! Any lettuce is great. Use your favorite.
Dressing: The best part of this unique mexican street corn pasta salad is the dressing! Its flavorful and really pulls all the ingredients together. Just whisk the few ingredients together and BAM it’s ready to go. No blender needed! I like to make this dressing ahead of time. If theres leftover you can use it on sandwiches, in wraps, on salads or even as a chicken marinade. Store in an air-tight container in the refridgerator until ready to use.
Directions
Cook the gluten free pasta: Follow the instructions on the pasta box. But, cook it for 1 minute less than it says. This will help it stay firm when mixed into the mexican street corn pasta salad. Once it’s done, pour off the water. Let it cool down.
Cook the corn: Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Put the corn, salt, and pepper in the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until it’s a little bit brown on the edges. Remove the pan from the stove.
Mix the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing. Put the dressing in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Combine ingredients: In a big bowl, put the cooled gluten free pasta, the cooked corn, and the lettuce. Pour the dressing over the pasta, corn, and lettuce. Gently mix it all together.
Chill the salad: Put the mexican street corn pasta salad in the fridge for 2 hours.
What pasta is best for pasta salad?
I always use a gluten free pasta that is made with brown rice flour. Trader joes has a brown rice and quinoa pasta that holds up nicely in a pasta salad. It is only 2 ingredients and it is my go-to. Jovial pasta also has brown rice flour in it. I suggest this one as well. I would skip any pasta made with chickpeas because as much as I love it, it doesn’t hold up well cold.
How to make the perfect pasta
Gluten free pasta is hard to work with! But I promise, you can do it successfully! I always suggest cooking your gluten free pasta 1 minute less than the box suggests to get an al-dente pasta. That way, when it sits in the dressing it doesn’t get mushy.
Be sure to also salt the water before adding your pasta! The more salt the better!
After the pasta is done cooking, I drain and then rinse the pasta with cold water to immediately stop the pasta from cooking any more.
Can I make this pasta salad spicier?
Definately!! The spicier the mexican street corn pasta salad the better. For a spicier Elote Pasta Salad I like to add chopped jalapeños or pickles jalapeños, or even a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dressing. You can also add red pepper flakes or more chili powder to the gluten free pasta salad dressing.
Should I use Fresh or Canned Corn?
For this mexican street corn pasta salad, I used canned corn because it was what I had on hand. I always keep cans of corn stocked in the pantry. It is affordable, easy to keep and ready year round! If you have fresh corn you can absolutely use fresh corn in this recipe. Especially if you are making this in the summer, fresh corn can only elevate this dish!
How to serve the pasta salad:
I always serve the mexican street corn pasta salad chilled! You can serve it at room temperature too but chilled is preferred. Since there is chicken in this gluten free pasta salad it is a full complete meal, but you can alway serve it along side BBQ chicken, some steak or other dips and appetizers!
How to store the pasta salad:
I store leftover mexican street corn pasta salad recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The gluten free pasta salad can be served cold or at room temperature.
Can I prepare this in advance?
You can make this mexican street corn pasta salad the day before a party or event. It stores great in the fridge for up to 3 days. This saves me a ton of time! If you can’t prepare the whole recipe the day before, you can also just boil the pasta beforehand and add a little olive oil before storing in the fridge so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
Looking for more gluten free recipes?
If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free pasta
- 2 cups corn
- 2 cups lettuce shredded
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp green onion or chives (diced)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 1-2 tsp elote seasoning or equal parts chili powder, cumin, garlic
- Salt pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to box directions (pro tip: cook the pasta for 1 minute shorter when using it for a pasta salad to avoid it being too soft) Once done, drain and set aside to cool.
- In a frying pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil, corn, salt and pepper. Cook the corn on medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until corn is charred along the edges. Remove from the stove and set aside.
- While the corn is cooking, in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk together and store in the refrigerator until ready.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chives, corn and shredded lettuce.
- Fold in dressing carefully so as to not break apart the pasta.
- Let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition
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