Monday, July 25, 2011

Penne Rigate Pasta Salad with Rib Eyes Steak and Balsamic Herb Dressing

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This is definitely one of my favorite summer pasta salad recipes.  I can have this for lunch or dinner a few times a week.  In fact, we do.  NO ONE in my family would complain having the same dish over and over again.  “It’s a keeper” kind of recipe and you will want to make it more often.  Not only it’s super simple to prepare, it’s full of flavor and satisfying.  Pair it with a glass of red, relax and enjoy this at your patio on a summer evening makes you forget the long day you had at work.

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It’s a versatile dish that you can substitute with your favorite type of pasta, meat and/or vegetable of choice.  I love to use penne rigate pasta (furrowed) in this recipe.  The dressing just hide in between the ridges on the penne and makes each bite a bit more flavorful. 

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If you’re not a big fan for Rib Eyes, you can substitute with veal chops, pork chop or even shrimps for the protein in this recipe.  Since my family loves rib eye, it is what I use most of the time.  For the veggies, you can mix it up with spinach, watercress, or arugula for a peppery kick.  Whatever you substitute, don’t omit the herbs and balsamic vinegar here.  Those are the key ingredients that really make this dish pop.  You’ll love the tartness and sweetness from the balsamic vinegar and the spiciness from the mustard.  The flavors really compliment well with each other.  

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Go ahead and enjoy a hot summer evening along with this Rib Eyes Steak Pasta Salad.  Your family will definitely requests you to make this dish again.

Join GoodLife Eats for the Surprisingly Nutritious Spaghetti Link-Up sponsored by Barilla pasta.






Penne Rigate Pasta Salad with Rib Eyes Steak and Balsamic Herb Dressing:
Printable Recipe

1 (1-pound) Boneless Rib Eye steak
Steak seasoning (your favorite brand)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 box of Barilla Whole Grain penne pasta
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups salad greens/spring mix


Season the steak with steak seasoning.  Preheat the grill to high.  Lightly brush a little bit of vegetable oil on both sides of the steak.  Cook each side for 4 to 5 minutes or until medium rare.

If you're cooking on stove top: In a cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cook steak about 5 minutes per side until medium rare (that’s how I like my steaks; you can cook to your own preference). 


Remove the meat from grill/pan, cover with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until el dente, follow instructions on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

On the chopping board, add the 1/2 teaspoon salt with the garlic.  Smash the garlic into paste with the back of your knife.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and olive oil until well combined. 

In a large mixing bowl toss the pasta, the reserved pasta water, the dressing and the salad greens together.  Taste the pasta and see if it needs more salt and black pepper.  Arrange dressed pasta salad on plates and arrange steaks on top.  (You can also toss the steaks together with the pasta before arranging on plates if you like)




14 comments:

  1. Amy this sounds so delicious and looks incredibly crave worthy. This is a must make pasta dish. Yummy!

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  2. Thank you Amy for this amazing recipe for rib-eyes and my all-time favorite pasta too, penne. I brought home from my Iowa trip, several fresh grain-fed ribeye steaks and so is on the menu tonight! I hope that you'll consider adding this to Fresh Food Friday this weekend. Thanks again!

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  3. @ Roz: Hope you'll love this recipe as much as my family does. I'll definitely stop by and share this recipe on Fresh Food Friday. :) Take care.

    Amy

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  4. That just looks fantastic. Every ingredient is perfect!

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  5. This is a perfect recipe for dinner. What more could one ask?

    Following your lovely blog. I am also inviting you to visit Momma's Lounge where you can add your blog, express yourself, and meet and be seen with more mom bloggers.

    Thanks and have a great day!


    Olah Momma!

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  6. This looks so delicious and the colors are beautiful!

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  7. We love ribeye steaks and the pasta salad sounds wonderful with it!

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  8. Sounds like a great summer meal. Love your dishes.

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  9. Hi Amy,
    This is a wonderful meal that I would love to have on any day. Your Balsamic Herb Dressing looks delicious. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again real soon. Hope you are having a great week!
    Miz Helen

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  10. I'm not a beef person but I still have to say this looks absolutely stunning.
    Kristy

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  11. This looks so good! I wish that I was better at cooking meats.

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  12. With the tender meat, there's really no need to use a steak knife in slicing them.
    kershaw knives

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  13. Wow, I've NEVER had pasta with steak like that. Amazing! I really like rib eye, too, looks good!

    -Rosie

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  14. Oh man, that looks delicious! I love pasta salad, and the addition of steak sounds divine. I can't wait to try this one

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