Description
Creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta combines the vibrant flavors of traditional Mexican street corn with a luscious, creamy pasta sauce. This dish features sweet corn sautéed with garlic and smoky spices, blended into a rich cream and sour cream sauce, tossed with spaghetti, and finished with tangy cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, scallions, and a squeeze of lime for brightness. It’s a flavorful, comforting meal perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz. spaghetti
- Kosher salt, for boiling water
Sauce and Toppings
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, plus more for serving
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until nearly al dente, about 8 to 9 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Sauté the Corn and Garlic: While the pasta cooks, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring frequently, until bright yellow and tender if fresh, or warmed through if frozen, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then stir in smoked paprika and cayenne pepper to coat the corn evenly with spices.
- Make the Cream Sauce: Reduce heat to medium and add heavy cream and sour cream to the skillet. Stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Toss Pasta in Sauce: Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with the creamy corn sauce. Toss everything together, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and create a glossy, slightly thickened consistency.
- Serve and Garnish: Divide the pasta among plates and top with sliced scallions, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and additional smoked paprika for extra flavor and color. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the pasta just before eating.
Notes
- Use fresh corn for a sweeter, more vibrant flavor, or frozen corn as a convenient alternative.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to control the heat to your preference.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream, keeping in mind the sauce will be less rich.
- If cotija cheese is unavailable, feta or parmesan can be used as substitutions.
- Reserve pasta water carefully as it helps to thicken and bind the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Mexican street corn pasta, creamy corn pasta, cotija cheese pasta, smoky pasta recipe, easy Mexican dinner, creamy spaghetti
