Steak Pasta with Gorgonzola

This Steak Pasta is bathed in a creamy Parmesan sauce, studded with sundried tomatoes and spinach, and topped with steak medallions, gorgonzola cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic for a gorgeous synergy of flavors and textures.

This post is sponsored by Ohio Beef. As always, all opinions are my own.

The holidays will look a little different for many families this year. While I find myself grieving some of the things we can’t do, I’m also trying to embrace the gifts this unusual Advent season offers.

Instead of a calendar full of parties and events, we have an opportunity to slow down, rest more, and create cozy memories at home. I’m planning lots of holiday movie nights with homemade popcorn seasonings, outdoor Christmas light adventures, baking with the kids, and diving into this gorgeous Advent book.

And while I might not be making my famous prime rib for a huge holiday gathering, I can certainly glam up the holidays with a decadent, creamy Steak Pasta with Gorgonzola.

My inspiration for this pasta comes from the OG, and by that I literally mean the OG–Olive Garden. It might not be the fanciest or the most authentic, but I’ll always have a soft place in my heart for the place that taught me to love greasy breadsticks, Italian dressing, and vats of Alfredo sauce.

Trying Olive Garden’s Steak Pasta Gorgonzola was one of the first “foodie” moments I can recall. This dish was unexpected. It was nuanced. It had flavors I had never tasted together before, and it just worked— from the tangy sweet balsamic all the way to the pungent gorgonzola cheese.

This dish was discontinued a few years ago (RIP Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo), but I think I’ve managed to make a pretty darn close copy cat here at home.

It’s a dish worthy of a cozy at home date night or a holiday gathering, but I’ve simplified it enough to make it doable for a weeknight. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Steak Pasta Ingredients

First, let’s break down what we need:

• Steak (with plenty of salt and pepper, of course)- I prefer ribeye for Steak Pasta, but sirloin is also a good choice. I chose to cut the steak into cubes (or medallions, if you want to sound fancy), but you can also pan fry the steak whole and slice it if you prefer.
• Pasta– I like a classic fettuccine, but this would also work well with linguine or even penne.
• Cream, pasta water, and Parmesan cheese– Instead of a traditional Alfredo sauce, I chose to lighten things up a bit by using cream and the starchy pasta water to create a silky Parmesan sauce. Don’t worry! It’s still plenty rich and creamy.
• Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes– Not only do these add wonderful (and holiday themed!) color to the pasta, they also have great flavor.
• Gorgonzola Cheese– This stuff packs a punch! Just a few crumbles add a pleasant sharpness to the pasta dish. You may also sub bleu cheese, but it tends to be a bit stronger.
• Balsamic Reduction– This sticky glaze lends a little acid and the subtlest hint of sweetness to bring it all together. I like to make my own balsamic reduction, but you can also find it at most grocery stores.

How to Make Steak Pasta

1. Cook the pasta– As always, salting the pasta water makes all the difference! For a full pot of water (about 16 cups/4 quarts), use 1 Tablespoon table salt or 1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher salt. The salted water will flavor the pasta and our sauce as well! Slightly under cook the pasta. It will finish cooking in the creamy sauce!
2. Cube, season and sear the steak– Toss the steak cubes with plenty of Kosher salt and pepper. Coat a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Sear the cubes until browned on all sides (about 2-3 minutes a side), but still medium in the middle.
3. Make the sauce– Remove the steak to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Melt butter in the skillet and saute garlic for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cooked pasta, half and half, and pasta water. Simmer everything together until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
4. Add Parmesan cheese, spinach, and sundried tomatoes– Allow the cheese to melt and the spinach to wilt.
5. Plate it!– Serve the pasta with a sprinkling of gorgonzola cheese, steak medallions, and a drizzle of balsamic.

Tips for Success

• Prep your ingredients before you begin– This recipe comes together quickly, so I recommend having everything measured and ready to go before you start cooking.
• Timing is everything– Start your pasta water first, then sear the steak after you add the pasta to cook. The steak takes about as long as the pasta, and can then be removed to a platter and kept warm while you prepare the sauce in the same pan. Less dishes, and everything is hot at the same time!
• Season the steak in advance– This is definitely not a necessity, but if you have the time and foresight, sprinkle the salt on your steak 20-60 minutes before cooking. The salt soaks in and seasons the interior of the steak instead of just the outside.
• Don’t crowd the pan– If you have more steak than can comfortably fit in your pan (without overlapping), sear it in two batches. Overcrowding leaves you with steamed steak, and we’re going for that golden seared crust!
• Cook to your desired temperature– Use this handy guide to determine the desired temperature for your steak. I prefer mine at medium, or about 155 degrees.

More Elegant Holiday Beef Recipes

• If you’re looking for a stunning holiday beef dish, you can’t go wrong with this Easy Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish Cream. Looking for a boneless option? Try this Garlic Rosemary Prime Rib Roast.
• We love mixing things up for Christmas dinner and having an Italian feast! This Cottage Cheese Lasagna feels fancy and tastes amazing!
• This Beef Short Ribs Recipe with Root Vegetable Puree is comfort food at its finest.
• Love the combination of blue cheese and steak? Try it in this Seared Filet with Blue Cheese Compound Butter.
• This Sous Vide Filet Mignon recipe is the easiest way to cook steak for a dinner party! Whether it’s just you and your partner or a table full of guests, this method takes the guess work out of making the perfect steak!

Be sure to visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more beef cooking tips and recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families (there are over 17,000!).

Continue to Content

Steak Pasta Gorgonzola

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Tender seared steak tops creamy fettuccine, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and crumbled gorgonzola for an elegant and flavorful pasta dinner.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces fettuccine noodles
• 16-20 ounce sirloin or ribeye steak, in 2 inch cubes
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Reserved pasta water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups torn spinach
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (not the oil packed kind)
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola crumbles
• Cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup balsamic glaze

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the fettuccine noodles and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until just under al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta water.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the steak chunks in a single layer, cooking undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, then flipping and cooking an additional 2-3 minutes, or until 155 degrees, about medium. Remove the steak to a plate and cover with foil.
3. Pour a splash of water in the pan and scrape off the brown bits then toss them. For once, we actually don't want to save those, because we're going to make our creamy white sauce in the same pan.
4. Place the pan back over medium heat. Add the cream and 1 cup pasta water to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the noodles and allow the mixture to simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
5. Add Parmesan and stir until melted. Add torn spinach and sundried tomatoes and allow to wilt, about 1 minute. If the pasta thickens too much, you can add small splashes of pasta water to loosen it up. Add cracked pepper to taste.
6. Plate the pasta, then sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese. Add steak and drizzle with balsamic. Serve.

Notes

This recipe comes together quickly once you get started, so have all of your ingredients measured and prepped before you start.

Have some extra time? Amp up the flavor of the steak by seasoning it with salt 30 minutes before searing.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Cuisinart Stainless 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 999Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 264mgSodium: 721mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 71g

Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.

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