After a cold spring, it’s finally getting warmer in Chicago! Street festivals and farmer’s markets are in full swing and there are so many options for both around the city. One of my favorite foods to enjoy during the summer is sweet corn. There’s nothing better than fresh, local corn, from the farmer’s market, with butter and salt, or elotes (Mexican street corn) at a street festival.
It’s still a little early for Midwest corn, which is usually harvested July through September. Did you know that Illinois produces the second most corn behind Iowa? In 2020, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota accounted for 54% of the U.S. corn production. Corn from warmer states like California and Florida is available now. My local grocery store recently had corn on sale, and although skeptical, I decided to get a few ears for an early taste of summer. It was surprisingly delicious, so I hope that bodes well for the local corn coming our way soon.
There are so many ways to cook and enjoy fresh corn – steam, boil, roast, grill etc. Corn is delicious in soups, salads, salsas, baked goods and so much more. People are usually passionate about which method they think works best when it comes to cooking corn. For example, when you grill corn, do you leave the husk on or take it off? Do you boil it? Do you wrap it in a wet paper towel and microwave it? Do you put it in the Instant Pot?
I prefer corn grilled, with the husk on. And once you’ve grilled corn, making elotes is just a matter of slathering the charred corn with mayonnaise (or a mixture of mayonnaise and crema), and sprinkling it with cotija cheese, chili powder, a squeeze of lime and sprinkle of cilantro.
Elotes is a great side dish at barbeques and it even works for Thanksgiving too! I decided to combine my love of elotes and pasta salad for the summer and the result is sure to make you the hero(ine) of all your upcoming gatherings. It also makes for a delicious summer lunch or dinner (grilled chicken or shrimp would be great additions for a more complete meal).
Elotes Pasta Salad
Serves 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
For the dressing:
1/3 cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup cotija cheese
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta salad:
1lb short pasta (farfalle, elbow, fusilli, etc)
4 ears corn, grilled/charred, cut off the cob
1/2 red onion, small dice
1/4 cup cotija cheese (for garnish)
2 scallions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Chili powder (for garnish)
1 lime, cut in wedger (for garnish)
1 avocado (This is a fun addition, but avocado doesn’t hold well, so I’d only add it if it’s being enjoyed immediately and won’t be stored for later.)
1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
2. Boil the pasta according to directions. Drain once cooked.
4. While the pasta cooks, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, combine all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
5. Add the hot pasta to the bowl with the dressing – this helps the cheese melt into the dressing.
6. Prepare your grill, and grill the corn over direct, high heat, with the husk on, turning every few minutes for a total of about 10 minutes.
7. Remove the corn from the grill. Allow to cool enough to handle, remove the husk, and cut the kernels from the cob (highly recommend a corn zipper!). Mix three-quarters of the corn into to the bowl with the pasta, set aside the rest for garnish.
8. Add the red onion to the pasta and mix.
9. Top pasta salad with remaining corn, cotija cheese, scallions, cilantro, and a sprinkle of chili powder. Serve with lime wedges.
10.Enjoy immediately at room temperature, or serve chilled!
I hope this recipe has gotten you excited about summer’s impending arrival. If you need a corn zipper, be sure to visit our retail store for that, and any other grilling needs! Our gorgeous grilling patio is open and we have so many fun classes coming up. Be sure to check out:
- Magic of Mushrooms: Grilling Edition on Friday, June 13 at 6pm
- Fiesta on the Grill on Saturday, June 21 at 6pm
- Grilling Boot Camp on Saturday, June 28 at 10am
- Italian Surf and Turf on the Grill on Saturday, June 28 at 6pm
- Brazilian Steakhouse on the Grill on Thursday, July 3 at 5pm
And, good news! If you just realized that you forgot to make summer plans for the kids and teens, we still have some camps spots available. Our first camp starts June 16 - grab your spot now!
