This Mexican street corn pasta is simply the best! Packed with cherry tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, a touch of bacon, and a wonderfully creamy sauce.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry pasta, gluten-free, if needed
- 4 strips bacon
- 3 cups corn, (see notes)
- 4 green onions, chopped (Greens and whites separate)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cherry tomato halves
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
- ¼ cup lime juice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot and toss with a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan and crumble when it’s cool enough to touch.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon oil from the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high then add the corn and stir so that it is coated in the oil then let it cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes, or until some of the kernels become golden on the bottom. Add the white and light green parts of the green onions, chili powder, pepper, and salt to the pan and stir.
- 3 cups corn, 4 green onions, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the black beans and cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook until they’re warm. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and stir until warm, about 1 minute.
- 15 ounce can of black beans, 2 cups cherry tomato halves, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Add the corn sauce to the pot with the pasta and add the cilantro, cheese, and lime juice. Stir well then season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. If the pasta seems a little too thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, ¼ cup lime juice
We usually use thawed frozen corn for this recipe. You can also use canned corn (drained well) or fresh corn cut off of 4 corn cobs.