Get ready for a fiesta in your mouth with our easy one-pot elote pasta recipe! Combining the flavors of elote, one of our favorite Mexican dishes, with the convenience of one-pot pasta cooking, this recipe is a flavor explosion that’ll have you dancing in your kitchen. It’s the perfect way to capture the essence of a summer street indulgence, delivering delicious, spicy elote vibes right to your plate.
If you’re a fan of one-pot pasta, this dish is about to become your new favorite!
Table of Contents
What is elote
Elote is Mexican street corn. The name comes from the Nahuatl word “elotitutl,” meaning “tender cob.” Elote is a variation of corn on the cob in which the corn is slathered in a spicy mayo mixture, then rolled in herbs and cotija cheese. Typically you squeeze some lime juice on top, too! It’s super popular in Mexico during festivals or as street food.
It’s messy to eat, but the taste can’t be beat. So that’s why we’re tweaking it today and incorporating those fresh, bold flavors into this one pot pasta recipe. If you like your food with a bit of a kick, then you’re in luck with this one!
What is one pot pasta?
If you’ve never tried one pot pasta before — get ready for your life to change! We’ve been sharing these recipes for a while and they’ve changed the game both in our houses and in the homes of our readers. If you love this one and want to try out a few more, we rounded up some of our favorites here.
One pot pasta involves using just one dish – either a deep dish stock pot or a Dutch oven — and cooking all your ingredients together with the pasta. This way, the pasta absorbs all those delicious flavors, and you achieve flavors that burst across your tongue and leave you craving seconds!
What are the benefits of one pot pasta?
Okay, we’ll get it out of the way first: one benefit to one pot pasta is that there’s so much less clean-up involved. Instead of having a ton of dishes clogging up stovetop space and then shifting over to your sink or dishwasher, you just have to deal with one dish!
But it goes deeper than that. We can’t wax poetic enough about the taste benefits of this dish! It’s honestly mind-blowing just how rich and decadent the flavor is — and it’s not just the sauce, but also the noodles themselves! Typically you just cook pasta noodles in heavily salted water, but we cook it in broth alongside all of the other ingredients. This means the noodles rehydrate while absorbing all of that incredible flavor!
How to make one pot elote pasta
- Add olive oil to a deep pot and turn on the heat to medium high. Toss in garlic, shallot, and jalapeño, stir for 1-2 minutes or until shallots have softened and translucent.
- Pour in pasta, water, lime zest, salt, pepper and Everything But The Elote seasoning.
- Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 9-11 minutes, or until the pasta is perfectly al-dente.
- Stir in sweet corn, cilantro, lime juice, heavy cream, sour cream, and green onion. It will be nice and creamy!
- Garnish with cotija cheese, and enjoy!
Can I make one pot elote pasta that isn’t spicy?
Listen, we get it: not everyone has a taste for food that makes you feel like your mouth is on sparkling fire. So if you prefer your pasta less feisty, there’s a way to do that — simply skip the jalapenos.
Do keep in mind, though, that Everything But The Elote seasoning has chili peppers in it, so there’s a bit of a kick inherent to the dish.
Common Questions about One Pot Elote Pasta
Yes, you can substitute regular pasta with your favorite gluten-free pasta variety. Just be mindful of the cooking time — gluten-free pastas may require different durations to reach the desired texture.
A fresh green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or a side of sautéed vegetables complements the rich flavors of the pasta. Additionally, warm crusty bread or garlic bread makes a great accompaniment to soak up the delicious sauce!
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, add a splash of water or broth to the pasta and warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally to maintain its creamy consistency.
Absolutely! To make a vegetarian version, simply use vegetable broth. For a vegan twist, replace dairy products like heavy cream and sour cream with plant-based alternatives such as coconut milk or cashew cream, and omit the cotija cheese or use a vegan cheese substitute.
More recipes to try
Chipotle Chicken with Elote Corn Salad
One Pot Elote Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 small shallot chopped
- 1 jalapeño chopped
- 18 ounces Campanella Pasta uncooked
- 4 cups water or low sodium broth
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Everything But Elote Seasoning
- 2 cups frozen sweet corn
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- juice of 1/2 lime juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- Garnish with cotija cheese
Instructions
- In a deep pot on medium high heat add olive oil, garlic, shallot, and jalapeño, stir for 1-2 minutes or until shallots have softened and transluecent.2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 garlic cloves chopped, 1 small shallot, 1 jalapeño
- Pour in pasta, water, lime zest, salt, pepper and Everything But The Elote seasoning.18 ounces Campanella Pasta, 4 cups water or low sodium broth, zest of 1 lime, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Everything But Elote Seasoning
- Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 9-11 minutes, or until the pasta is perfectly al-dente.
- Stir in sweet corn, cilantro, lime juice, heavy cream, sour cream, and green onion. It will be nice and creamy!2 cups frozen sweet corn, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, juice of 1/2 lime juice, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- Garnish with cotija cheese, and enjoy!Garnish with cotija cheese
Video
Equipment
Would you like to save this? 🔖
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my favorite meal ever. Hands down. If I was on death row, this would be my choice for my last meal. Easy to make. Easy to keep eating and have no leftovers of it. Easy to make all over again the very next day. Thank you so much Food Dolls!
Thank you so much, Caedyn! We’re glad you love it as much as we do!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Hi! Where can I find elote spice? I cant find it in any supermarket I went to in Canada. Where can I find it from? Please let me know!
It’s at Trader Joe’s.