Pasta Salad with Cotija (Printable format)

Smoky grilled zucchini, sweet corn and Cotija brighten short pasta with a zesty lime dressing.

# List of ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 225 g (8 oz) short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
03 - 2 ears fresh corn, husked (or 1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed)
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Cheese

07 - 3/4 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled

→ Dressing

08 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
10 - 1 tsp honey or agave syrup
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - 1/2 tsp cumin
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to make it:

01 - Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
02 - Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly brush the zucchini slices and corn with olive oil.
03 - Grill the zucchini for about 2-3 minutes per side, until tender and lightly charred. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until slightly charred.
04 - Transfer grilled zucchini to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice the corn off the cob.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, grilled zucchini, corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, half the Cotija cheese, and cilantro.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.
07 - Top salad with remaining Cotija cheese and serve immediately or chill for 1 hour for enhanced flavor.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Friends will think you spent hours perfecting the flavors, but the secrets are mostly in the zesty dressing and a hot grill.
  • Each bite feels like a sunny afternoon outside, and it works equally well warm or cold for any kind of gathering.
02 -
  • I once made the mistake of not cooling the pasta completely—it soaked up all the dressing and the salad turned a bit gummy.
  • The day I doubled the lime juice by accident was a happy discovery; it gave the whole salad a lively punch everyone loved.
03 -
  • Always let grilled veggies cool for a couple minutes before cutting so they stay juicy inside.
  • A generous pinch of cumin in the dressing deepens the smoky flavor – don't skip it.
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