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A pasta twist on Mexican street corn salad, this pastina salad is so easy and so good. It combines tiny star-shaped pasta with sweet charred corn, spicy jalapeño, cilantro (coriander), and a creamy, spicy lime and paprika dressing. It’s simple and bright and really so delicious. It makes the perfect lunch all year round, as you can make it ahead. Or make it as a side for a summer BBQ.
Table of Contents
Pastina, the beloved tiny pasta often used in Italian soups (you might like to try my classic pastina recipe), makes a surprisingly brilliant base for a pasta salad. Its small size means every spoonful gets coated in the smoky, tangy dressing.
This recipe takes inspiration from esquites (also elote en vaso), the Mexican street corn salad, but gives it a pasta twist. Instead of serving corn on the cob with cotija cheese, we cut kernels off fresh cobs (or use canned), char them for extra flavor, and toss everything together with feta, fresh herbs, and lime.
Why you will love this recipe
- You get smoky charred corn, creamy dressing, tangy lime, and salty cheese, but the recipe only takes about 30 minutes.
- It’s comforting yet fresh.
- Because pastina is so tiny, you get a bit of everything – corn, herbs, cheese, and dressing – in each spoonful.
- Use fresh corn in summer when it’s sweet and in season, or canned corn in colder months for a quick pantry staple dish.
- It works as a BBQ side, a picnic salad, or even a light main, and it’s easy to scale up for feeding a group.
Ingredients
- Pastina – A tiny pasta often used in Italian soups. It makes a surprisingly brilliant base for a pasta salad. Its small size means every spoonful gets coated in the smoky, tangy dressing.
- Jalapeño – I like one small jalapeño for some heat, but you can omit this if you don’t like spice or add more if you do.
- Corn – I like to use corn on the cob. I find it chars best in the pan and I love the caramelization, but I have included instructions for canned corn too.
- Cilantro – Also known as coriander.
Substitutions and variations
Cheese: Cotija cheese is traditional in Mexican corn salad – use it if you can find it. Feta makes a great stand-in, though.
Pasta swaps: If you can’t find pastina, orzo or ditalini work well. These tiny shapes give a similar spoonable texture.
Herbs: If you don’t love cilantro, swap it for fresh parsley or basil.
Make it a main: Add grilled chicken strips or black beans for extra protein.
Dairy-free: Use vegan mayo and sour cream, and swap feta for a dairy-free cheese alternative.
Here’s how to make charred corn pastina salad
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pastina for 1 minute less than the package instructions. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside. Slice the kernels off with a sharp knife. Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
TWO: Fry the kernels for 5-7 minutes until lightly charred and caramelized. Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika and the zest of 1 lime.
THREE: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, garlic, lime juice, and paprika until smooth.
FOUR: In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, corn, cilantro, scallions (spring onions), jalapeño, lime zest, and feta.
FIVE: Pour over the dressing and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little extra salt or lime juice if needed. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled (i.e., out of the fridge for 20 minutes before serving just to remove the fridge chill).
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Keep pastina from going mushy: Undercook it slightly by 1 minute, rinse under cold water, and drain well.
- Get real char on corn: Make sure the pan is hot and avoid overcrowding – let the kernels sit for 1–2 minutes before stirring to develop color.
- Balance the dressing: Add half first, toss, then add more if needed. This avoids overdressing.
Frequently asked questions
Cook the pastina just until al dente (1 minute less than package instructions), then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly so excess water doesn’t dilute the dressing. Pastina does soften over time, so it’s best on the day it’s made.
Absolutely, you can use canned corn in pastina salad. Just drain and pat dry first, then pan-fry to get some color. It won’t caramelize as well as corn cobs, but it’s still good.
Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for up to 3 days. After that, the pastina will turn a little mushy.
For speed, pan-frying kernels cut off the cob works in just 5–7 minutes – this is what I do. For smoky flavor, grilling corn on the cob on a hot grill (12-18 minutes, turning regularly) is the best option. Canned corn also works if you dry it first and fry in a hot pan.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you like this pastina salad, you will probably also love my chicken macaroni pasta salad, basil pasta salad, or lemon feta orzo. For more salads, try my crispy halloumi salad and apple fennel salad.
Easy Healthy Recipes
Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo
Salad Recipes
Peach Caprese Salad
Easy Beef Recipes
Steak and Green Bean Salad with Yogurt Caesar Dressing
Seafood Recipes
Ahi Tuna Salad
If you tried this Pastina Salad or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Easy Pastina Salad with Charred Corn and Feta
Ingredients
For the pastina salad:
- 1 heaping cup (200g)pastina, or another small pasta like orzo
- 2 corn cobs, or 1 can sweetcorn, drained and patted dry
- 1 tbsp olive oil, or butter (for frying/grilling the corn)
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro (coriander), roughly chopped
- 2 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
- 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds removed if you prefer less heat)
- 3.5 oz (100g) feta cheese, crumbled (traditionally cotija cheese is used, but feta works well if cotija isn’t available)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra for dusting
- Zest of 1 lime
- Salt, to taste
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp sriracha
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pastina for 1 minute less than the package instructions. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside.
- If using fresh corn cobs: Husk the corn and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife. Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the kernels for 5-7 minutes until lightly charred and caramelized. Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika and the zest of 1 lime.Alternatively, grill whole husked cobs on a hot grill for 12-18 minutes, turning regularly, then slice off the kernels once cool enough to handle. If using canned corn: Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Fry in a little oil in a hot pan until some kernels take on color.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, garlic, lime juice, and paprika until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, corn, cilantro, scallions, jalapeño, lime zest, and feta. Pour over the dressing and toss well to coat.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little extra salt or lime juice if needed. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled (i.e., out of the fridge for 20 minutes before serving, just to remove the fridge chill).
Video
Notes
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can make this a day in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before eating, as you don’t want it to be fridge-cold. This salad is best enjoyed on the day it’s made, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.Variations and tips
- Canned corn: In the US, a standard can of corn is 15.25 oz (about 432g), in the UK, tinned corn is typically 325g. Either will work in this salad, and you can adjust the amount to fit your taste. If you don’t use a whole can, refrigerate it in an airtight container and use it later.
- Herbs: Try swapping cilantro for parsley if you’re not a fan.
- Feta: Cotija cheese is traditional in Mexican street corn salad – worth trying if you can find it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My take on the viral pastina salad – it keeps really well and it’s full of zingy, fresh flavour.