Elote Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Serves 6–8 · tap what you already have
- For the pasta salad
- 1 lb short pasta, such as cavatappi or fusilli
- 4 ears fresh corn, husked
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for serving
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
- For the lime-chile dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp ancho chile powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
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Preparation
10 steps
Step 1 · Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water, then set aside to drain well.
Step 2 · Heat the grill
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Step 3 · Prep the vegetables
Lightly coat the corn and poblano with olive oil.
Step 4 · Grill the corn and poblano
Grill, turning occasionally, until the corn is lightly browned in spots and the poblano is blistered and softened. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.
Step 5 · Prep the poblano
Remove the stem and seeds. Peel away any loose skin, then finely dice the poblano.
Step 6 · Cut the corn
Cut the kernels from the cobs and transfer them to a large bowl.
Step 7 · Make the dressing
Whisk together the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, honey, ancho chile powder, cumin, salt and black pepper.
Step 8 · Assemble the salad
Add the pasta, poblano, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño and cotija to the bowl with the corn.
Step 9 · Dress the pasta
Pour the lime-chile dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and add more lime or salt as needed.
Step 10 · Finish and serve
Top with additional cotija, scallions and cilantro. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
