Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Jars
A delicious pairing of pasta and butter beans, this Mexican street corn pasta salad is the ideal meal prep, high-protein lunch.
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- ¼ tsp each cayenne pepper
- sprinkle of chili lime seasoning, like tajin
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 15-oz cans corn drained well
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 2 15-oz cans butter beans drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 8 oz uncooked ditalini pasta
- 1 tsp olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- ¼ tsp each garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
📦Other(1)
- 4 green onions sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
557
Protein
24g
Carbs
79g
Fat
17g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook 8 oz uncooked ditalini pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain then transfer back to the pot. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking, then let it cool while you prepare everything else.
- 2
Stir together all sauce ingredients.
- 3
Either toss everything together in a large bowl, or meal prep it in jars. To meal prep, spoon sauce evenly into 4 large (32-oz) mason jars. Evenly divide ingredients into the jars in this order: beans, corn, pasta, green onions, cilantro, and cheese (sprinkle with optional tajin). Close lids and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. To serve, dump the contents of a jar into a bowl and stir!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Drain canned corn through a fine-mesh strainer and press gently with paper towels to remove 60-70% of liquid before adding to jars, preventing the salad from becoming watery as osmotic pressure pulls moisture from the dressing over 5 days.ingredient60-70% moisture removal
- ✓Cool the oiled pasta to 68-72°F (room temperature) before jarring by spreading it on a sheet pan for 8-10 minutes; warm pasta will cause the Greek yogurt-mayo emulsion to break down and separate within 24 hours.timing68-72°F, 8-10 minutes
- ✓Use a 3:1 Greek yogurt-to-mayo ratio (¾ cup Greek yogurt + ¼ cup mayo) rather than equal parts because the higher protein content in Greek yogurt (10% vs 1%) stabilizes the emulsion and prevents the dressing from becoming grainy as acid from lime juice denatures proteins over 5 days.ingredient3:1 ratio, 10% vs 1% protein
- ✓Layer ingredients from heaviest (sauce, beans) to lightest (cheese, herbs) with pasta in the middle, and invert the jar when serving; this prevents the delicate ditalini from crushing under the weight of beans and allows the dressing to distribute evenly during storage.techniqueBottom-to-top: sauce, beans, corn, pasta, greens, cheese
- ✓Toss the drained pasta with exactly 1 tsp olive oil (0.17 oz per 8 oz pasta) to coat without creating a slick barrier that prevents sauce absorption; excess oil would reduce sauce adhesion by up to 30% and result in bland bites.ingredient1 tsp per 8 oz pasta (0.17 oz ratio)
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Jars
A delicious pairing of pasta and butter beans, this Mexican street corn pasta salad is the ideal meal prep, high-protein lunch.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- ¼ tsp each cayenne pepper
- sprinkle of chili lime seasoning, like tajin
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 15-oz cans corn drained well
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 2 15-oz cans butter beans drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 8 oz uncooked ditalini pasta
- 1 tsp olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- ¼ tsp each garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
📦Other(1)
- 4 green onions sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
557
Protein
24g
Carbs
79g
Fat
17g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook 8 oz uncooked ditalini pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain then transfer back to the pot. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking, then let it cool while you prepare everything else.
- 2
Stir together all sauce ingredients.
- 3
Either toss everything together in a large bowl, or meal prep it in jars. To meal prep, spoon sauce evenly into 4 large (32-oz) mason jars. Evenly divide ingredients into the jars in this order: beans, corn, pasta, green onions, cilantro, and cheese (sprinkle with optional tajin). Close lids and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. To serve, dump the contents of a jar into a bowl and stir!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Drain canned corn through a fine-mesh strainer and press gently with paper towels to remove 60-70% of liquid before adding to jars, preventing the salad from becoming watery as osmotic pressure pulls moisture from the dressing over 5 days.ingredient60-70% moisture removal
- ✓Cool the oiled pasta to 68-72°F (room temperature) before jarring by spreading it on a sheet pan for 8-10 minutes; warm pasta will cause the Greek yogurt-mayo emulsion to break down and separate within 24 hours.timing68-72°F, 8-10 minutes
- ✓Use a 3:1 Greek yogurt-to-mayo ratio (¾ cup Greek yogurt + ¼ cup mayo) rather than equal parts because the higher protein content in Greek yogurt (10% vs 1%) stabilizes the emulsion and prevents the dressing from becoming grainy as acid from lime juice denatures proteins over 5 days.ingredient3:1 ratio, 10% vs 1% protein
- ✓Layer ingredients from heaviest (sauce, beans) to lightest (cheese, herbs) with pasta in the middle, and invert the jar when serving; this prevents the delicate ditalini from crushing under the weight of beans and allows the dressing to distribute evenly during storage.techniqueBottom-to-top: sauce, beans, corn, pasta, greens, cheese
- ✓Toss the drained pasta with exactly 1 tsp olive oil (0.17 oz per 8 oz pasta) to coat without creating a slick barrier that prevents sauce absorption; excess oil would reduce sauce adhesion by up to 30% and result in bland bites.ingredient1 tsp per 8 oz pasta (0.17 oz ratio)