Planning a class reunion is the kind of thing that can quickly turn into a lot of logistics— dates, venues, head counts, and trying to remember who is actually still in touch with whom. So when a few of my classmates and I got together to hash out the details, I figured we might as well have something good to eat while we were at it.
I put together this Grilled Corn, Tomato & Poblano Pasta Salad, leaning heavily on the beautiful summer produce showing up at the farmers market right now. Sweet corn, juicy cherry tomatoes, smoky grilled poblanos and scallions all get tossed with orecchiette and a creamy lime-and-cumin elote dressing, and then finished with plenty of salty cotija and cilantro.
This Mexican street corn pasta salad turned out to be exactly the kind of food I wanted for an afternoon poolside — casual, colorful, make-ahead friendly and substantial enough to feed a little group without keeping anyone in the kitchen. The reunion planning went literally "swimmingly' well, too. I’m convinced that feeding some of my favorite people tasty food had something to do with that.
Elote
"Elote" is essentially the name of Mexican street-style grilled corn on the cob, and the defining feature isn't just the grilled corn, it's what gets piled onto it afterward. An ear of grilled sweet corn is coated in mayo or Mexican crema followed by cotija cheese, chili powder, lime juice and cilantro. There are certainly regional and vendor variations with some using only mayo, some crema, some both; chile choices vary; cheese; and cilantro is not universal. But grilled corn + creamy coating + salty cheese + chile + lime is the recognizable elote profile and served as the basis for creating this recipe.
Ingredients
Grilled Corn, Tomato & Poblano Pasta Salad Ingredients
Grilled Corn, Tomato & Poblano Pasta Salad Ingredients
- orecchiette pasta
- vegetable oil
- sweet corn
- cherry tomatoes
- scallions
- poblano chili peppers
- cotija cheese
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Elote Dressing Ingredients
Elote Dressing Ingredients
- Mexican crema
- mayonnaise
- cilantro
- lime
- garlic clove
- honey
- salt
- cumin
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
See recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Preheat grill to 400°F. Brush corn, poblano and scallions with vegetable oil.
Grill corn, turning regularly until lightly charred. Reserve.
Grill poblano until skin is blackened and blistered.
Add scallions and grill until charred. Place tomatoes in a grill basket and grill until charred.
Turn tomatoes until only charred; don't let them burst. (The juice is part of what makes this elote pasta salad so good!)
Cut the corn from the cob.
Peel the poblano and remove skin and seeds, dice into ¼”.* Slice the scallion into ⅛” slices.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add corn, tomatoes, poblano and scallions and accumulated juices. Toss to combine. Let stand for ½ an hour.
Fold cotija cheese into pasta.
Add half of the dressing and toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired.
For serving sprinkle with reserved cotija cheese and cilantro.
Hint: If you are making this a few hours ahead, hold back half of the dressing and toss it in right before serving to revive the creaminess, as the pasta will tend to soak it up in the refrigerator.
Variations & Substitutions
Add avocado: Diced avocado would be excellent, especially if you want to make this feel a little more substantial. Add it right before serving rather than tossing it in with everything else.
Protein addition: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or black beans would all work well here, but grilled shrimp in particular would complement the smoky-lime flavor profile beautifully.
Sour Cream: Sour cream is thicker and tangier than Mexican crema, but can be used instead; the mayonnaise balances it nicely.
Spice it up: Add a finely minced jalapeño or serrano to the salad, or increase the ancho chili powder in the dressing. A little Tajín sprinkled over the finished salad would also be terrific.
Add red onion: Finely sliced or diced red onion would bring some sharpness and color.
Fresh herbs: Cilantro is the obvious choice here, but a ½ to 1 teaspoon of fresh oregano could be interesting.
Agave Nectar: It is the naturally authentic substitution for honey in this particular recipe.
Cheese: Cotija is ideal, but queso fresco is an authentic substitute if cotija isn't available. (It will be milder and softer, so the finished salad won't have quite as much salty punch.)
Pasta variation: Orecchiette is a great choice because the little cups catch the dressing. Cavatappi, fusilli, rotini or small shells are all good alternatives.
Equipment
- grill or grill pan
- medium and large bowl
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta may absorb some of the dressing as it sits; if needed, loosen with a small spoonful of crema or a squeeze of fresh lime juice before serving.
If you aren't planning to serve this for a few hours, it is better to wait until 20 minutes before serving to add the dressing.
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Grilled Corn, Tomato & Poblano Pasta Salad with Elote Dressing
Equipment
- grill or grill pan
- medium and large bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 ounces orecchiette pasta prepared according to package directions and allowed to come to room temperature
- vegetable oil
- 5 to 6 ears of sweet corn
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 scallions
- 1 large poblano chili pepper or 2 small
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese reserve 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Dressing
- ⅓ cup Mexican crema
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
- zest and juice of one lime
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- a few pinches of smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 400°F. Brush corn, poblano and scallions with vegetable oil. Grill corn, turning regularly until lightly charred. Reserve. Grill poblano until skin is blackened and blistered. Grill scallions until charred. Place tomatoes in a grill basket and grill until charred, turning occasionally.
- Cut the corn from the cob. Peel the poblano and remove skin and seeds, dice into ¼”. (See note.) Slice the scallion into ⅛” slices.
- Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add corn, tomatoes, poblano and scallions and accumulated juices. Toss to combine. Let stand for ½ an hour,
- Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add cotija cheese to pasta along with half of the dressing and toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired.
- For serving sprinkle with reserved cotija cheese and cilantro.
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