Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto & Goat Cheese
Delight in the vibrant flavors of our Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto & Goat Cheese. This refreshing dish combines charred sweet corn, creamy goat cheese, and zesty cilantro pesto to create a colorful salad perfect for summer gatherings or a light lunch. Easy to prepare in just 45 minutes, it’s packed with nutritious ingredients like fresh vegetables and healthy fats from avocado and nuts. Whether serving it as a main course or as a side dish, this pasta salad will impress everyone at the table.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large ears of corn
- 1–2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 8 ounces bow tie pasta
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ avocado, diced
- ⅓ cup goat cheese crumbles
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- ⅓ cup roasted or raw cashews
- 1 small lime, juiced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 jalapeño, seeded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons water, if necessary to thin the pesto
- Extra cilantro
- ½ avocado, if desired
- 2 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high. Drizzle corn with oil and season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Grill for about 10 minutes until charred. Let cool and cut the corn off the cob.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente; drain and rinse with cool water.
- In a food processor, blend cilantro leaves, cashews, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta and cilantro pesto. Mix well.
- Fold in grilled corn, diced bell pepper, avocado, goat cheese crumbles, and red onion.
- Chill before serving or enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240g)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 10mg