This steak pasta with spinach is a long-time favorite recipe and is an easy 30-minute dish. Tender steak is tossed with spinach, pasta and a tangy Dijon mustard and balsamic dressing. Serve it warm, at room temperature or cold for an easy pasta dinner.
Steak and pasta tossed together with pasta, spinach and a tangy balsamic-mustard dressing/no-cook sauce is my idea of summer eating. It’s easy to make, you can serve it warm, at room temperature or cold and it’s filling without being heavy.
I’ve been making this dish since about, oh I don’t know, circa the early 2000s after I watched Giada De Laurentis make it on her Food Network show.
I even remember the episode – in it, she wrapped up the beef and pasta in cute take-out boxes and surprised her now ex-husband at work with lunch. They ate it in his office with chopsticks. It was a simpler time.
Why I remember things like this I have no clue, but I remember I made it for dinner that night and it was simple and flavorful.
I don’t watch Food Network much these days but I still make this delicious steak pasta with spinach. I’ve put my own spin on it over the years and it never fails to disappoint. It’s simple, delicious, and perfect for any season.
Ingredients
- New York strip steak
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Penne
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Spinach
- Parsley
- Crumbled feta cheese
Can I use another type of steak?
- The best steak for this pasta is one that cooks fairly quickly and is tender. Readers have made it with sirloin, tenderloin, filet mignon, and rib-eye.
- How thick your steak is will determine the cooking time. I like something quick so I usually go for the NY strip or sirloin.
- You can also use leftover steak – just skip the steak cooking part and toss it with the pasta and dressing.
How to Make Pasta with Steak and Spinach
- Season the steak with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Boil the penne according to package directions. While the pasta boils, cook the steak in a hot pan with the olive oil until it’s seared and cooked to about medium-rare (or your desired doneness).
- Mix the olive oil, vinegar, and mustard together in a large bowl. Slice the steak against the grain.
- Place the spinach, parsley, steak, and pasta in the bowl with the dressing and toss it all together. The spinach will wilt as you toss it with the hot pasta. Garnish with the crumbled feta cheese.
You can serve it warm or at room temperature, but it’s also delicious cold from the refrigerator. If it’s chilled, I like to give it a little toss before serving to freshen it up.
Happy cooking!
More Easy Pasta Recipes
I love easy pasta recipes ❤ Here are a few more of my favorite ones you might like, too.
- 5-Ingredient Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- One-Pan Spaghetti Bolognese
- 15-Minute Mediterranean Pasta
- Shrimp Penne with Vodka Sauce
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.
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Pasta with Steak and Spinach
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
This steak pasta with spinach is an easy dinner recipe that can be served warm, at room temperature or cold. Tender steak tossed with a mustard and balsamic dressing is a delicious dinner full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce New York strip steak (see note)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces of penne pasta
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon, divided
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season the steak on all sides with the mixture and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve one tablespoon of the starchy water before draining the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Cook the steak for 5-7 minutes on each side (depends on how pink you like it – 7 minutes will be barely pink). Remove the steak from the pan and leave it on a plate to rest.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and mustard until it’s thickened.
- Thinly slice the steak, against the grain and place it in the bowl with the dressing along with the pasta, reserved pasta water, spinach, and parsley. Toss it all together. As you toss it the spinach will wilt.
- Garnish with the feta cheese and serve the pasta warm, at room temperature or you can chill it before serving. If you chill it, hold off adding the cheese until serving and give the pasta and steak a toss before serving.
Notes
Any quick-cooking and tender steak will work well for this recipe. Readers have used sirloin, ribeye, filet mignon, and tenderloin instead of the New York strip. Depending on how thick the steak is you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Adapted from Food Network
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sear
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 672
- Sugar: 4.9g
- Sodium: 1046.8mg
- Fat: 36.1g
- Saturated Fat: 8.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 49.2g
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 37.7g
- Cholesterol: 79mg
Keywords: steak pasta, easy beef pasta recipe, pasta with steak and spinach
Post and photos updated from the archives. First published in April 2015.
Carrie says
I have made this twice now and it’s a huge hit with my family. We had a chest freezer go out and I had to cook some steaks or lose them. I grilled, sliced then froze them. I have used those precooked frozen strips both times and it is a terrific use for them. Quick, easy and flavorful the recipe trifecta if you ask me.
★★★★★
April Anderson says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thanks for the tips with the frozen steak, too 🙂