Creamy pasta tossed with charred corn, zesty lime sauce, and crumbled cotija cheese for a bold Mexican-inspired dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta
02 - Salt, for boiling water
→ Vegetables
03 - 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3–4 ears fresh corn)
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
06 - ½ cup sour cream
07 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
08 - ¼ cup whole milk
09 - 1 tsp chili powder
10 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
11 - ½ tsp ground cumin
12 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
13 - 1 tsp lime zest
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Toppings
15 - ¾ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
16 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - Extra chili powder or Tajín, for garnish
18 - Lime wedges, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
02 - Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn and sauté for 4–5 minutes until lightly charred. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, lime juice, and lime zest. Season with salt and pepper.
04 - Add cooked pasta and sautéed corn mixture to the bowl with sauce. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed for a creamy consistency.
05 - Stir in half of the cotija cheese and half of the cilantro until evenly distributed.
06 - Serve warm, topped with remaining cotija, cilantro, extra chili powder or Tajín, and lime wedges on the side.
