This steak pasta features perfectly cooked, Fajita-style steak on a bed of creamy penne pasta mixed with bell pepper, onions and burst cherry tomatoes.
In the past couple of years, I’ve been on a quest to find more meals that both my teenagers will agree on. My 15 year old daughter is still a relatively adventurous and healthy eater. My 17 year old son is more picky now than when he was a toddler. Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, apple sauce and sandwiches make up a high percentage of his diet. Considering my occupation as a recipe creator and home cook, I sometimes feel I failed him in this area. But then I remember I used to hate raw tomatoes and had other “picky” tendencies of my own at his age… which I have since outgrown.
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Steak is something that both my daughter and I enjoy. So I created this steak pasta dish to try and give all three of us a home-cooked meal to enjoy together. Mexican-style food is something on which we can all three agree. I hope you enjoy this creamy Fajita-style steak pasta as much as we do.
Why this recipe works
I’m most proud of the sauce I created for the cooked pasta in my recipe. Just four tablespoons of butter combine with a little flour to make a roux. Stir in fresh garlic, beef consommé (or beef broth) and tomato paste (for a big punch of flavor). Sour cream is the secret to this creamy sauce. The final result tastes almost cheesy and truly decadent. The sauced and cooked pasta is then topped with cooked peppers, onions and tomatoes, plus Fajita-seasoned steak slices. It’s a fusion of Mexican and Italian cuisines that works surprisingly well together.
Ingredients for steak pasta recipe
- Steak – your favorite cut of steak will work in this recipe (sirloin steak, ribeye steak or even filet mignon are all good choices)
- Penne Pasta – the sauce really sticks nicely to thicker, bite sized pasta shapes
- Fajita Seasoning – one envelope flavors both the steak and the vegetable mixture
- Bell Peppers – I chose yellow and green, red and orange will also work
- Onion – Traditional with peppers in Fajitas
- Cherry Tomatoes – cooked to bursting, they provide a bright flavor to the pasta dish
- Butter – helps to thicken and flavor the sauce
- Oil – I happened to have avocado oil on-hand, but you can use any type of vegetable or olive oil
- Flour – helps to thicken the sauce
- Beef Consommé – provides intense flavor and helps to make a creamier sauce, you can use beef broth instead if you can’t find consommé
- Garlic – fresh garlic gives great flavor to the homemade sauce
- Tomato Paste – helps give the sauce an intense tomato flavor
- Sour Cream – gives the sauce its creamy consistency
- Tajin Seasoning – optional but adds a bright, lime flavor that brings all the other flavors together
- Salt and Pepper
- Cilantro – for garnish, or you can use parsley instead
Instructions for how to make steak pasta
Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes or up to four hours. Sear the steak on each side over medium-high heat, then transfer the skillet to a warm oven to finish cooking. Once the steak has reached at least 145 degrees F, remove it from the oven and keep covered until ready to serve.
In a large skillet, heat a little oil and sauté the peppers and onions, then add the tomatoes, fajita seasoning and Tajin. Stir and simmer until the tomatoes have softened and burst. Remove the vegetables to a clean bowl.
In the same pan, melt the butter and cook the garlic for about a minute, until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes, whisking often. Whisk in the beef consommé and cook, stirring until thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in the sour cream until smooth.
Meanwhile, boil some water and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and reserve about a cup of pasta water. Pour the cooked pasta into the pan and stir until the pasta is coated with sauce. Add a little pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Top the cooked pasta with the vegetables and tender steak slices. Then sprinkle it with some fresh herbs, salt (if needed) and cracked black pepper to serve.
Pro tips
What type of steak is best?
I decided to use filet mignon for testing this recipe. I found a package of two steaks for $15.99. Ribeye steak and sirloin steak are good choices as well. The instructions for cooking are the same, regardless of what type of steak you choose. The most important parts of a perfectly cooked steak is that initial sear and the final internal temperature.
The right cooking temperature for steak
The FDA recommends steak be cooked to a minimum temperature of 145oF with a 3-minute rest time. This results in a medium cooked steak with a hot pink center. But steak doneness is of course a personal preference. If you like your steak cooked to a higher temperature with a less pink center, who am I to judge?! And if you choose to roll the dice (so to speak) and enjoy a rare steak, then that is your choice! If you are going to spend good, hard-earned money on a steak, I want it to be how you like it.
I always rely on an instant read digital meat thermometer when cooking any type of meat or seafood. For this recipe, I like to sear my steak on each side for 1-2 minutes, then finish cooking in a 275 degree F oven, while I’m preparing the rest of the meal.
What goes with steak and pasta?
Storage directions
Place any leftovers in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to three days. You can freeze steak pasta for up to one month in the freezer. Again, be sure it is protected in an air tight container, or freezer safe, Ziploc bag.
Be sure and allow the frozen pasta to thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat refrigerated pasta in the microwave, adding a little more sour cream or beef broth towards the end, to help it regain its creamy texture.
Kitchen tools
- Skillets for cooking steak both on the stove top and in the oven
- My favorite (inexpensive) digital meat thermometer
- Large sauté pan for making the sauce
- Non-stick whisk for stirring the pasta sauce
- My favorite heat-safe spatulas for stirring
More steak and pasta recipes
- Johnny Marzetti Pasta
- Grilled Steak Sandwiches
- How to Make a Great Steak Marinade
- Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce
- Air Fryer Steak with Shrimp Cream Sauce
Steak Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb Steak
- 2 cups Penne Pasta
- 1.27 oz Fajita Seasoning
- 2 Bell Peppers
- 1 Onion
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
- 10.5 oz Beef Consommé
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Tajin Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 packet of the fajita seasoning with 1/2 can of the beef consommé (or about 5 oz of beef broth). Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes or up to four hours in the fajita seasoning/beef consommé mixture.
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high-heat. And preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Discard the marinade. Sear the steak on each side over medium-high heat, then transfer the skillet to the oven (with the steak) to finish cooking. Once the steak has reached at least 145 degrees F, remove it from the oven and keep covered until ready to serve.
- In a separate, non-stick large skillet, heat the remaining vegetable oil and sauté the peppers and onions until starting to brown, then add the tomatoes, fajita and Tajin seasonings. Stir and simmer until the tomatoes have softened and burst. Remove the vegetables to a clean bowl.
- In the same pan, melt the four tablespoons of butter, add the garlic and cook for about one minute, until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes, whisking often. Whisk in the beef consommé and cook, stirring until thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in the sour cream until smooth.
- Meanwhile, boil some water and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and reserve about a cup of pasta water. Pour the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and stir until the pasta is completely coated. Add a little pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce.
- Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Top the cooked pasta with the vegetables and tender steak slices. Then sprinkle it with some fresh herbs, salt to taste and cracked black pepper to serve.
Nutrition
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Shashi says
This looks absolutely amazing. So flavorful and filling!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you Shashi!
Ieva says
I love making my own sauces, and having harvested by last cherry tomatoes of the year, I decided to try this recipe! Delicious restaurant-quality pasta dish that anyone would enjoy, in my opinion! Steak-cooking tips were highly appreciated, as we rarely cook it at home! Overall, a great recipe that will be repeated many times in our kitchen 🙂
foodtasticmom says
What a fabulous review to receive, I appreciate your thoughtful insights. I’m also jealous of your home-grown tomatoes! One day I hope to start growing my own vegetables. Thanks again!
Anjali says
Omg you combined two of my favorite things — fajitas and pasta! Can’t wait to make this for dinner soon!
foodtasticmom says
Awesome! Enjoy!
Charla says
Believe it or not but I have never paired steak with pasta, totally a new concept that I am excited to try!
foodtasticmom says
Before this recipe, I hadn’t either. I usually pair pasta with chicken. This is a great change and works well. Enjoy!
Katherine says
So tasty and so quick! This is going onto our regular weekday meal plan!
foodtasticmom says
So happy to hear this! Thanks!!