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Pasta Salad with Charred Corn and Cilantro
Creamy-rich yet bright and fresh, this pasta salad takes inspiration from Mexican esquites, corn that typically is grilled or roasted and finished with a mixture of herbs, lime, chili and cheese. We simmer corn cobs in the water that’s later used for cooking the pasta for added sweet, grassy flavor. The kernels, meanwhile, are charred and tossed with brine from pickled jalapeños, cilantro, Mexican crema and salty cotija. And if fresh corn is out of season, frozen kernels that have been thawed and patted dry work nicely; you’ll need 2 pounds. If using frozen kernels, you won’t have cobs to simmer, so simply boil the pasta in the water.
4 to 6
Servings
30 minutes
Ingredients
-
5
cups fresh corn kernels from about 5 ears of corn, cobs reserved (see headnote)
-
8
ounces ditalini OR penne OR elbow macaroni
Directions
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01In a large pot, combine 4 quarts water and the corn cobs. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, then remove and discard the cobs. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until fully tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water, tossing, until cool to the touch. Drain again, shaking the colander to remove as much water as possible; set aside.
Reviews
June 29, 2026
Deelish!!
Note to Kenneth L. , reviewer - we ALWAYS have pickled jalapenos in our pantry/fridge! Nothing odd about that.
This pasta is yummy, particularly with the jalapenos!
July 2, 2025
simple, great presentation, delicious
Easy to put together. . . paired well with Grilled Chicken Salmoriglio.
July 2, 2025
Easy and a fun different way to eat pasta
This made a TON of pasta for just my husband and me. Besides the insane amount, it was so good! I would totally bring this to a barbecue. The most labor-intensive part is cutting the corn off the cob and I like that. I really hate prep work in cooking and this had minimal amounts of it.
June 21, 2025
Perfect summer side
A great twist on esquites, perfect side dish for a summer bbq
June 23, 2024
Great flavor
I loved this, and not a lot of hassle. I didn’t notice any flavor from the corn cobs in the pasta, at least not after being thoroughly rinsed, so in the future I might either skip that step or try mixing in olive oil to prevent the pasta from clumping while it cools naturally. I think scallions would be the ideal garnish though I didn’t have any.
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