I didn’t think I liked pasta salad, but this Street Corn Pasta Salad won me over! It’s full of flavor with grilled corn and a creamy chipotle dressing, but is easy to make. Perfect for a BBQ or potluck!
Why We Love This Street Corn Pasta Salad
- This salad is allergen-friendly, as it is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, with egg-free and vegan options! But, it’s a salad everyone will enjoy and no one will guess is gluten-free.
- Next, it can be a easy side or a dinner salad! This pasta salad is a fantastic side dish for any meal. Or, add in protein of choice to make it a dinner salad! I love adding in grilled chicken like my Blackened Chicken or you can add in canned rinsed black beans for a vegan or plant-based option.
- Also, it’s a great make ahead dish or meal prep. This Street Corn Pasta Salad stays good in the fridge for up to a week. Make a batch at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch through out – perfect for meal prep! Or, if you are going to or hosting an event, make it ahead of time for less stress the day-of.
- Finally, it’s easy to make! The hardest part is just taking the time to grill the corn. Though you can substitute canned corn in a time-crunch, I recommend the grilled corn for the best flavor.
Ingredients
- Pasta – Choose a pasta that works for your dietary needs. Need a grain-free pasta? Use a cassava flour pasta such as Jovial Cassava Flour Pasta. Just need a gluten-free pasta? We love Banza pasta, which you can find at Walmart. It is made from chickpeas and has an added 11g of protein per serving. I also recommend Banza if you are making this pasta salad vegan or as a dinner salad, as it will add a plant-based protein boost.
- Ears of corn – Grilled corn is the star of the show in this dish. I highly recommend using fresh corn and taking the time to grill it. If you don’t have a grill or are in a time crunch, you can use 3 cups or drained canned sweet corn.
- Pico de gallo – This fresh-style store-bought salsa with chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro adds a lot of flavor without you having to do a bunch of chopping! I find this in the produce aisle. I don’t recommend substituting a jarred salsa instead.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro, finely chopped to give this salad a fresh pop of flavor.
Dressing Ingredients
- Mayo – I keep this budget-friendly by starting the dressing with a batch of my 5-Ingredient Whole30 Mayo. But, you can also buy a Whole30 compatible mayo such as this one from Primal Kitchen for a more convenient option. NEED EGG-FREE OR VEGAN OPTION? Start with an eggless mayo. Here is one from Primal Kitchen that is Whole30 + Vegan or, if you are not on a Whole30, you can find a Vegan mayo such as this one from Walmart.
- Salt – Regular table salt.
- Chipotle chili powder or chili powder – Chipotle chili powder will gives this salad a mild but delightful kick. I can find it at my local Walmart here. But, if you can’t find it, traditional chili powder will work.
- Paprika
- Lime zest and juice from a fresh lime – Zest the lime first and then juice. I used to hate zesting fruit until I got the right tool. I have this zester from Amazon and it makes this task so easy! I also use this handheld juice squeezer to make that job simple as well.
- Garlic powder – Granulated garlic or garlic powder both work equally well.
How to Make Street Corn Pasta Salad
- GRILL CORN: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the husk from the ears of corn. Brush the ears of corn with ghee, vegan butter, or oil, sprinkle with salt and place directly on the grates. Watch closely and turn regularly to get a flavorful char but not burn it. Grill for 8-10 minutes. As the corn cooks, the natural sugars in it carmelize and intensifies. I highly recommend taking the time to grill corn for this salad!
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- While pasta is cooking, cut the corn off the cob. If you haven’t done that before, here is a good blog post on ways to do it.
- DRESSING: Make the dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and cool. Once cool, add pasta to the large bowl. Add dressing, corn, pico de gallo, and chopped cilantro. Stir until well combined. I also like to add some garlic salt on top, to taste.
- Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Stays good covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Other Salads You Will Love
Need more whole-food salads? Here are some of our favorites, all of which are gluten-free + dairy-free!
- Whole30 Broccoli Salad
- Whole30 Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Paleo + Gluten-free Italian Pasta Salad
- Chipotle Copycat Whole30 Salad Bowl
- Easy Whole30 Kale Salad
Street Corn Pasta Salad
An easy flavorful dish with the flavors of street corn in a gluten-free dairy-free pasta salad!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten-free pasta we prefer Banza
- 3 large ears of corn or 12oz bag of fire-roasted frozen corn, thawed and pat dry if fresh corn is out of season
- 2 cups pico de gallo
- 1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped (about a 1/2 cup chopped)
- Garlic salt to taste, optional
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 large lime 1 teaspoon lime zest and 2 tablespoons lime juice from the lime
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- GRILL CORN: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the husk from the ears of corn. Brush the ears of corn with ghee, vegan butter, or oil, sprinkle with salt and place directly on the grates. Watch closely and turn regularly to get a flavorful char but not burn it. Grill for 8-10 minutes. As the corn cooks, the natural sugars in it caramelize and intensify. I highly recommend taking the time to grill corn for this salad!During the winter months, ears of corn can be hard to find. Instead, use a 12-ounce bag of frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed and patted dry.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- While pasta is cooking, cut the corn off the cob. If you haven't done that before, here is a good blog post on ways to do it.
- DRESSING: Make the dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and cool. Once cool, add pasta to the large bowl. Add dressing, corn, pico de gallo, and chopped cilantro. Stir until well combined. I also like to add some garlic salt on top, to taste.
- Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Stays good covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
See the Ingredients section of the blog post above for more details on ingredients including substitutions.
Nutrition information is calculated using chickpea Banza pasta and does not include the optional cotija cheese, or optional add-ins.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 452mgPotassium: 135mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 437IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
How do you make the dressing dairy-free?
Hi! Totally get the need for dairy-free, all of my recipes here are gluten + dairy-free. The main ingredient in the dressing besides spices and lime juice is mayo. Mayo is naturally dairy-free, as it does not contain any cow products (milk, cheese, sour cream, etc.). I make my mayo here with just a few simple ingredients: https://wholefoodfor7.com/5-minute-whole30-mayo/ . If you need it vegan and egg-free, you can use a plant-based egg-free mayo. Enjoy!
We love this salad!! I like to add black beans and shredded chicken and make it a meal. I use regular GF pasta cooked anl dente and it holds up well. Today was my third time making it!! The dressing is really tasty. Thanks, Autumn!
So happy to hear it’s become a repeat recipe for you—third time’s a charm! Love the additions of black beans and chicken to turn it into a full meal, and great tip on the GF pasta. Thanks so much for the kind review!
10/10 definitely making again! I also made it with blackened chicken per the recommendation and this is definitely going in the summer rotation.
Thank you for the review! I’m thrilled to hear it was a 10/10 for you—and great call on the blackened chicken, such a great way to make it a meal. So glad it’s earned a spot in your seasonal rotation!
This dish is amazing! Love that it’s a quick and easy side dish that you can easily make it into a main meal by adding chicken. Even my 6yo likes it!
YAY!! So glad it was a hit—even with your 6-year-old, which is always a huge win! Love that you made it work as both a side and a main. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I made this with home canned — not grilled — corn and it was delicious; I can see that grilling would go really well with the smoky chipotle seasoning. I made this with the store brand corn and chickpea pasta and it kept well for a week, so definitely a dish you can meal prep and eat all week long.
I’m so happy you loved this one and it was one you could enjoy all week long. Thank you so much for the review!
This was delicious!!! My whole family enjoyed it and grilling the corn is not a step to be missed! We are LOVING your recipes:) Thank you!
I’m so happy you loved it and it was a family hit! I agree, the grilled corn is worth the extra step. Thank you so much for the review!
This was delicious!!! My whole Sikh enjoyed it and grilling the corn is not a step to be missed! We are LOVING your recipes:) Thank you!
This pasta salad was amazing!! The grilled corn definitely made the difference and was well worth the extra step. I followed the recipe as posted, and it was a great side dish. Next time, I want to add black beans and chicken to make it a complete meal.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I agree, it’s definitely worth the time to grill the corn. Thank you for the review!
SO MUCH FLAVOR!! This is a new family favorite and is perfect for summer! The warmth of the smoky chipotle powder and grilled sweet corn complement each other so well! All six of us love it ages 7-44! And of course, in keeping with Autumn’s genius, this is another EASY recipe!
Aw, I’m so thrilled you just loved this one! All the right flavors and super easy. Thank you so much for the rave review!
I made this for a 4th of July BBQ! SO GOOD! It’s simple to make and I love the options for add ins. I added black beans to mine. It was a hit and will be making this again and again. Yum!
YAY that this was a delicious win and easy to make! I also love it with the black bean add-in. And love that it was a hit! Thank you so much for the review.