Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook the pasta until al dente. Remove ½ cup of starchy pasta water from the pot and set aside for later. Strain the pasta and set it aside for later.

Step 2

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium/large heat. Add avocado oil to the skillet. When the avocado oil is fragrant and hot, add the minced garlic to the skillet. Let the garlic sauté for 1 minutes.

Step 3

Add the corn to the skillet and toss with the garlic. Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, paprika, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt over the corn and toss. Cook the corn until it begins to brown (about 10 minutes). Be sure to toss the corn periodically so it does not burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove the skillet from heat and let cool briefly.

Step 4

Once the corn has cool a bit, add the Greek yogurt, sour cream and ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water to a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the remaining salt, cotija, lime juice, lime zest, and salsa and stir to combine.

Step 5

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss and then add the cooked corn, red pepper, and onion to the pasta. Toss again until all of the ingredients are coated. If you want it a bit saucier, you can add a little bit more starchy pasta water.

Step 6

Finally, add the cilantro to the pasta salad and toss one last time. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.