Quick & Easy Healthy Steak Pasta Dinner
If you are looking for steak dinner ideas, this quick and easy healthy steak pasta is going to fit the bill! Packed with beef, fresh spinach, and delicious pesto, it's a favorite comfort food, even for picky eaters!
Ingredients
- 1 16- oz box penne pasta
- 2 beef tenderloin steaks 4-6 oz each
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1/3 cup of your favorite prepared pesto
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste for the steaks
- If you want to make a healthier version of this steak dinner you can use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta. My kids actually hate whole wheat pasta so we make a trade - if they eat the veggies in this dish, they can have "real" pasta. 😊
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the penne pasta according to the package directions. (Depending upon the directions for your pasta, between waiting for the water to boil and cooking time, this will take around 15 minutes.)
- While the pasta is boiling, you can quickly cook the steaks on your stove in a skillet. I absolutely love how steaks turn out in my deep cast iron pan. The high sides keep the grease from splattering and the cast iron gives the steaks a really nice sear.
- You'll want to cook the steaks for about 5-7 minutes on each side until they reach your desired doneness. (Check out my temperature guidelines later in the post.) Once it's done cooking, allow the streak to rest while you prep the pasta and veggies.
- Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain it and pour it into a giant serving bowl.
- Next, add the spinach, tomatoes, and pesto. Mix it well to make sure that the pesto coats the pasta and veggies well.
- Finally, thinly slice the steak and place it on top of the pasta. Sprinkle the steak and pasta with blue cheese crumbles. If you have picky eaters in the house, serve the blue cheese on the side.
Notes
Well-Done (no pink) - 170 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium (a little pink) - 160 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium rare - 145 degrees Fahrenheit
For this recipe, I do not recommend using a rare steak. You'll end up with way more juice in the pasta than would be appetizing.
Servings: 4 -6 Servings