Pasta with Steak and Arugula

Nothing like building a new house to keep you from blogging. Even in all the chaos that is my life right now, I have actually been cooking. Well, not much in the past few weeks as most of my kitchen paraphernalia is packed up in boxes. But, I've been saving some recipes that I've been meaning to post.

My hubby has what some might call a "sensitive stomach." In actuality, the poor guy has lately been suffering from reflux which really limits what he can eat. For instance, he should really stay away from onion, garlic, and tomatoes. We're Italian. I like to cook Italian food. How's this going to work? So, that takes an entire category of pasta sauces off the menu. Cream sauces, you say? Nope. He needs to avoid the heavy creams and fats of say an Alfredo or vodka sauce. Thus, I've been on the lookout for recipes with light sauces that don't rely on tomato as a base.

Of course, Giada came through for me with her recipe for Penne with Beef and Arugula. While I didn't follow her recipe precisely, I did use it as inspiration. The result was an incredibly easy meal that can be served hot or at room temperature, and would make a perfect potluck contribution. Giada's recipe called for a strip steak, but I have also used a skirt steak and tri-tip. In addition, I decreased or eliminated altogether some of the ingredients in her recipe.

Pasta with Steak and Arugula

(inspired by Giada di Laurentiis)

Serves 4

1 pound steak (strip, skirt or flank)

1 whole, peeled garlic clove

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound penne

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (you could use a little less than 1/4 cup here)

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more for steak)

1/2 teaspoon pepper (plus more for steak)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cups chopped fresh baby arugula

Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese

-- Season steak with salt and pepper.

-- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add steak and garlic clove.

-- Let steak cook about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on your desired doneness. Remove clove if it starts to overcook.

-- Once steak is finished, remove from skillet and let sit about five minutes. Once rested, slice it thinly.

-- Cook penne in boiling, salted water.

-- While pasta is cooking, add vinegar, olive oil, mustard, basil, salt and pepper to mixing bowl and whisk to mix.

-- When penne is al dente, reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta water, and drain.

-- In a large bowl, toss the pasta with about 1/2 of the oil and vinegar mixture, and half of the pasta water.

-- Add the arugula and steak, and more dressing and water as needed.

-- Season with salt and pepper.

-- Add fresh Parmigiano cheese as desired.

Notice, that I used a whole clove of garlic instead of mincing it, per Giada's version. Since I am trying to protect R's stomach, I kept the garlic whole which simply infuses some of the flavor and aroma of garlic without actually having to eat it.

This recipe is also a great way to use left over steak. If you are going to do this, just slice the steak into bite-sized strips, and warm up in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. Just keep it in the skillet long enough to warm it through, but not cook it any further.

Is it Pasta? Is it a Salad? Is it a Pasta Salad?

My husband and I are leaving on a tropical vacation in a couple of weeks, and are just vain enough to want to make sure we'll look decent in our bathing suits.  So, we've been trying to eat lighter for the past few weeks.  Now, I know what you're thinking:  pasta isn't the way to lose weight.  But, this dish can take as little or as much pasta as you want to add.  That's why I am not sure whether to call it a salad or a pasta.  If you decide to use a pound of pasta, I guess it's really a pasta dish.  But if you want to keep it on the lighter side, you could use just a 1/2 pound of pasta and add more zucchini, spinach and/or chicken breast.   I'll write it out with the quantities I used the other night.  It was enough to be dinner for two adults and two kids.  

Zucchini, Chicken, and Pasta Salad

(serves 2-4)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

2-3 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup, chopped fresh spinach

2 scallions, minced

1/2 pound pasta (you can use long pasta like linguine, or short pasta like penne)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-- Add pasta to pot of boiling, salted water.

-- While pasta cooks, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

-- Add zucchini, and toss to coat.  Let rest while cooking the chicken

-- In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  

-- Cook chicken until golden on both sides, and cooked through.

-- Remove chicken from skillet and slice into thin pieces.

-- Once pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add to zucchini mixture.  Toss with another tablespoon of olive oil to make sure pasta doesn't get sticky.  

-- Add chicken, spinach, scallions, Parmesan to bowl.  Mix and serve warm or let cool and serve at room temperature.  

What I like about this recipe is that it is so versatile and lends itself to additions and substitutions.  For instance, instead of using regular olive oil and a lemon, I used my favorite Meyer lemon infused olive oil.  If you want more veggies, you could include more spinach or zucchini.  You could even add sweet English peas or yellow crookneck squash as well.  You can adjust the amount of pasta depending on whether you're looking for a one-dish meal, or a side.  You can eat it warm or at room temperature.  And, I am pretty sure that it would make a good dish for a potluck.  In fact, I have one coming up next week -- I think I know what I'll bring!