1) It's delicious. I'm on a Giada di Laurentiis kick right now because after meeting her, I was determined to try some of her recipes. Well, this is outstanding.
2) Two words: steak and pasta- who does not LOVE that combo? You can serve this to ANYONE and they will love it.
3) The sauce can be made a day ahead- which I discovered the next day as I was eating the leftovers for lunch. I actually thought the entire meal tasted better the next day. ANY meal that can be made a day ahead is a success in my book.
4) Pricy steaks made to go the distance. We used 2 thin rib-eyes but you can use 1 inch thick if you like. There are times we want to serve steak when we have guests. But good steak is expensive. Here's a great way to be generous enough with the steak but still budget-friendly.
5) I use one of my favorite things in the whole world: CHIANTI! 3/4 cup for the sauce, and the rest is to be enjoyed while you eat!
This meal tastes like a ragu. Pat thought I worked on it all day. From beginning to end, it took me about 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 2 12 oz. rib-eye steaks (I used thinner ones....size is important when it comes to cooking time)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 onions, thinly sliced ( I used only 1 and thought it was fine)
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (julienne, ya'll)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 cup dry red wine ( I use Chianti)
- 2 cups homemade or storebought marinara sauce (Giada's homemade Marinara recipe is a good one, I always have some in my freezer)
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth (I had some in my freezer, but if you buy more than one cup, the rest will freeze well. Pour into large muffin tins and place in freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag to add into soups, stews or making this again!)
- 12 oz dried rigatoni ( I used handmade fresh rigatoni stuffed with ricotta which I purchased for the occasion-dried works well too)
Technique:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks until they are seared and brown but still rare in the center, about 3 min. per side. (I cooked my thin rib-eyes for 1 min. per side. That's all they needed- nice sear over high heat for a med-rare center. You should hear sizzling and there should be smoke- othewise you're not doing it right. HIGH HEAT- loud hissing! Windows opening. And don't touch them on the pan...and don't let any guy come along and poke at them either. Just let them sit there and get happy until they are ready to be flipped. REMEMBER that protein raises 5 degrees off the heat. It will cook more as it rests on the plate. ) Transfer the steaks to a plate and set aside to cool completely (this step can be done earlier in the day.) Add the onions and carrots to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minutes. Add marinara sauce and broth. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat to allow the flavors to blend, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, trim off any fat from steaks, then cut the steaks into bite-zie pieces and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook according to package instructions. I like to cook pasta 1-2 min. less than recommended so that it will finish cooking in the sauce. Stir pasta while boiling to prevent sticking. Drain pasta.
Toss rigatoni, reserved steak pieces, and any accumulated juices from the steaks, with the sauce to coat. Transfer pasta to bowls and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with some crusty bread to soak up that heavenly juice!. I served the dinner with a side salad of greens with some pan sauteed zucchini/summer squash, with a splash of white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan before pouring the veggies onto the salad to wilt the greens a bit.
This meal is well worth the effort.
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