Description
A refreshing pasta salad featuring corn, creamy avocado, and a tangy lime-cilantro dressing, perfect for warm-weather gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces rotini or fusilli pasta (dry)
- 1 ½ cups cooked corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- Juice of 2 limes (about 2–3 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of generously salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop cooking; set aside to cool completely.
- If using frozen corn, bring a small pot of water to a boil, add corn for 2–3 minutes, then drain and cool. If using fresh corn, boil, grill, or roast the kernels before cooling.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the cooled pasta, corn, red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients without mashing the components.
- Carefully fold in the diced avocado just before serving to prevent browning and keep cubes intact.
- Let the salad sit for 10–15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
For a vegan option, replace Greek yogurt with dairy-free yogurt and use chickpea pasta for extra protein. To avoid browning, add avocado just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cooking (after pasta and corn)
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 275mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 63g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 0mg