In 2022, TikTok was obsessed with corn. It was the vegetable of the year, thanks to the Corn Kid. Together with the ever-messy and delicious elote – Mexican street corn covered in tangy ingredients such as lime, coriander, chilli and cheese – this ‘big lump with knobs’ went viral.

In 2023, corn’s popularity continues to grow as elote and pasta join forces to create the now viral ‘pasta elote’.

Pasta elote uses the ingredients of the Mexican street snack as inspiration, creating a fusion dish that combines the flavours of corn, spices, mayonnaise and cheese.

TikTok foodies across the globe have even taken things one step further, creating variations including the elote-inspired mac ‘n’ cheese and elote ramen.

What is elote?

In Spanish, the word ‘elote’ translates to ‘corn’, and the root of the vegetable’s origin goes back in Central American history to the Aztecs.

The modern version of elote was developed from street vendors, who slung Mexico’s regional variety of corn (which differs from the one we’re familiar with in that it’s white, not yellow), in the early 1900s.

Feeling ready to make your own pasta elote? Our Food Editor Tracey Pattison shares her own recipe, which you can choose to keep vegetarian or shake up a little with your own choice of barbecued protein.

Related story: Yes you Mexi-can! Try these 6 easy recipes tonight 

Mexican pasta salad

SERVES 6-8

“The great thing about this salad is that it stores well in the fridge, covered, for a good 3 days and gets tastier along the way. You can always add extra lime juice, creme fraiche and mayo to loosen if needed. It’s perfect for transporting to picnics or taking along as a plate to a barbecue.”

@deliciousaus It might be 2023, but TikTok is still all about corn, with the latest viral recipe being the ‘elote pasta salad’. Intrigued on what makes it different to your regular pasta salad? Make sure to check out the link here: https://bit.ly/3GKaOws 📹: @tracey.pattison #delicious #makeitdelicious #deliciousfood #elote #esquites #pastasalad #elotepastasalad #saladrecipe #saladideas #pastalover #tiktokfood #viralfood #trendingfood ♬ original sound – sped up audios &lt3

INGREDIENTS

• 500g dried pasta (we used farfalle)
• 1 fresh corn cob, silks removed
• 4 fresh jalapenos, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely grated parmesan
• Good handful of coriander leaves, chopped

DRESSING

• 250g tub creme fraiche
• ½ cup mayonnaise (we used Kewpie)
• Juice of 3 large limes
• 1 heaped tsp each of ground cumin and sweet paprika

METHOD

• Cook your pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water over high heat until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain and refresh immediately under cold running water to cool down and stop the cooking process.
• Meanwhile, chargrill the corn over high heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked and charred. Remove to a board and slice away kernels.
• For the dressing, place all ingredients together in a large bowl and whisk until well combined and smooth.
• Add pasta, jalapenos, onion, corn, parmesan and coriander to dressing in bowl, and stir well to combine and coat. Season to taste.
• Serve immediately or chill, covered, until ready to serve.

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