Whether or not you’ve had elote, grilled Mexican street corn, you may want to try this Italianized version.

Instead of the Mexican toppings—there are numerous options* but a popular combination is Tajin seasoning chili powder and lime juice in Mexico,

In the following recipe, the Mexican seasonings are replaced by basil pesto and sweet balsamic vinegar.
 
 
RECIPE: ITALIAN-STYLE STREET CORN

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the grill. Place the corn on the grill, turning every few minutes until steaming, hot and tender, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile…

2. COMBINE all the ingredients except the garnish in a small bowl.

3. TRANSFER the corn to a serving plate. Brush the corn with the pesto mixture. Serve sprinkled with cheese.
 
 
> More About Pesto
 
 
> Homemade Pesto Recipe

[1] Street corn, Italian-style

[2] Keep a jar of pesto on hand. It’s a condiment, garnish and sauce (both photos © DeLallo).

*Elote topping options include butter, cotija cheese, chili powder or Tajin seasoning, lemon or lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream and salt. You can also add seeds, especially unshelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

†When golden balsamic vinegar is required, you could substitute dark balsamic; but it will darken the color of the corn. White balsamic vinegar was created to use on lighter-colored food, but it could alter the appearance of the final dish (here’s more about it). If you don’t want to darken the dish or purchase white balsamic, you can substitute white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar.