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Ayyyeeee! This pasta was SO SO good.
I will admit that it’s a teeny bit indulgent but tastes delicious and it’s something that surprisingly doesn’t feel super heavy and I think that it having no meat helps a lot with that.
This week has been full of food shoots and getting everything done and ordered for our kitchen renovation, which I’m going to tell you about TOMORROW! WOOHOO.
Before I do that though, I wanted to give you this late-summer recipe because I feel like corn has been so delicious this year. If you’ve had Mexican street corn before (also known as elote) then you know that it is delicious. It’s super simple with ingredients that complement each other so very well.
This is similar to that except with…pasta, which makes it very different and not traditional at all but still so tasty.
I’ve been kinda sneaky about the kitchen renovation because I didn’t want to curse it. I’m super superstitious and didn’t want anything to go wrong. But Monday the general contractor and his workers are showing up so it’s happening.
I couldn’t be more excited about the outcome! More soon!
Creamy Elote (Mexican Corn) Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 ears of corn, husks and silk removed
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- Salt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound pasta, I used spaghetti
- 3/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 4 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese, plus more as garnish
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed, minced
Instructions
- To a medium to large skillet or Dutch oven, set over medium heat, add the butter. When melted, add the corn kernels, shallot and garlic. Cook until the shallot has softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cayenne, salt and heavy cream; cover the pot to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (mine took about 8 to 9 minutes). Scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- To the corn mixture, add 3/4 cup reserved pasta water, juice from 1 lime and mix. Cook until warmed, about 1 minute. Add the pasta, the crumbled cotija cheese and toss until combined. If you need to, add a bit more pasta water or cream. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking (it should be ok!).
- Divide amongst bowls or plates and garnish with a bit more cotija cheese and some leaves of cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adrianna, I swear that you had an elote pasta salad posted on the site (with bowtie pasta) but now I can’t find it. Am I losing my mind? Can I adjust this recipe to serve cold?
This is an amazingly creative way to enjoy the street food classic. Thank you so much for the recipe, it was absolutely delicious.
I’ve been following you for years and have made many of your recipes. I’m not normally one to comment, but I just had to post something for this recipe. I made it for dinner tonight and found it to be so fresh tasting and incredibly creative. I love elote but I think I love it in pasta form even more. I will be making this pasta for years to come! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Hi Adrianna. I’m making this recipe right now and I’m a bit confused regarding the cilantro. The recipe calls for 1 bunch “minced” but the directions seem to only include a few “leaves” for garnish. Am I missing something or is it just leaves for garnish? Thank you!
ahh im sorry about that. the cilantro is just for garnish!
I made this tonite. It was delicious, great as a side or entree. However, I could’t find cotija anywhere and didn’t have time to go the spot I knew would have it. So I opted for feta instead. The cilantro makes ALL the difference. But so light, I could actually see adding some freshly grated lemon peel but love this.
oh that’s awesome! yeah feta is a great substitute in a pinch. in LA we have cotija at regular grocery stores but honestly, i hate going to multiple grocery stores! haha.
some fresh lemon peel would be delicious!
I love this recipe! I used all organic ingredients and it turned out great!
LOVE! YAY!
Mexican corn is my absolute favorite! This looks so incredibly amazing. I can’t wait to try it!
I love your site!!! <3 Everything looks yummy!
thank you!