Description
Healthy Street Corn Pasta Salad combines tender pasta, sweet grilled corn, crisp vegetables, and a creamy Greek yogurt dressing inspired by classic Mexican street corn. Packed with fresh herbs, cotija cheese, and a hint of lime, this lightened-up pasta salad is perfect for meal prep, BBQs, potlucks, or a refreshing summer lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
- 3 cups grilled corn kernels (about 4 ears)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese
For the Healthy Dressing
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp light mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Optional Garnish
- Extra cotija cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Chili powder
Instructions
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Cook the rotini according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool completely.
- Prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, grilled corn, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, avocado, and cotija cheese.
- Toss together: Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra cotija cheese, cilantro, a sprinkle of chili powder, and fresh lime wedges.
Notes
For the best flavor, grill the corn until lightly charred before cutting it from the cob. Add the avocado just before serving to keep it fresh. This salad can be made up to one day ahead, but reserve a little dressing to refresh it before serving if needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 340mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: healthy street corn pasta salad, mexican street corn pasta salad, healthy pasta salad, summer pasta salad, grilled corn salad
