A restaurant-style dinner featuring a beautifully seared, garlic-butter steak served alongside creamy, spicy tomato rigatoni tossed with herbs and Parmesan.
Author:Lorenzo Bonucci
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Yield:2–3 servings 1x
Category:Dinner
Method:Stovetop
Cuisine:American
Diet:Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
2 beef steaks, about 200–250 g each
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
30 g butter
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, optional
300 g rigatoni
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
100 g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
200 g tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼–½ tsp red pepper flakes
150 ml heavy cream
50 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
60–120 ml reserved pasta water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Pat the steaks completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Let them sit at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve about 120 ml pasta water, then drain.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1–2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3–4 minutes. Lower the heat and add the cream. Stir until smooth. Add Parmesan and stir until melted. Toss in the cooked rigatoni. Add pasta water a little at a time until the sauce becomes silky and coats the pasta. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in fresh parsley.
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add olive oil and place the steaks in the pan. Sear for about 2–3 minutes per side, depending on thickness and desired doneness. Reduce the heat to medium and add butter and minced garlic. Tilt the pan slightly and repeatedly spoon the foaming garlic butter over the steaks for 1–2 minutes. Remove the steaks and rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
For food safety, whole cuts of beef can be cooked to your preferred doneness, but the USDA recommends 63°C followed by a 3-minute rest for steaks.
Optional: Add a little extra red pepper flake to the pasta for the spicy orange sauce shown in the photo.