Ingredients :

• Cotija cheese — This is the centerpiece. Dry, crumbly, very salty — halfway between feta and parmesan in texture. You can find it in most Latino grocery stores or online. If truly unavailable, use well-drained feta: the taste isn’t identical, but it works. Avoid ‘pre-shredded cotija’ in bags, which is often too dry and tasteless.
• Shell pasta (conchiglie) — The shape isn’t just an aesthetic detail. The small shell acts like a spoon — it captures the creamy sauce inside. Ridged versions hold even more. Avoid smooth pasta like penne or farfalle: the sauce slides off instead of sticking.
• Fresh corn — Ideally fresh in season, frozen out of season (thawed and dried well before hitting the pan). Canned corn won’t give the same result because it contains too much water and will never truly char. It’s this caramelized, slightly smoky effect that sets this salad apart from a basic one.
• Jalapeño — Systematically remove the seeds and white membranes inside. The heat of the jalapeño is concentrated in these parts. Without them, you keep the vegetal and fruity flavor of the pepper — with a background heat, not an attack. If you like it hot, keep a few seeds. But be honest with your guests.