Caramelized Veggie and Steak Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Delicious caramelized veggies, seared steak bites and tender noodles with a tangy basil vinaigrette that cuts through the richness of the dish.

A perfect summer dish!

Feeds 4 people

Ingredients:

Pasta Salad:

12 oz. medium sized short pasta (penne, rotini, farfalle, medium shells, etc)

1- 16 oz container fresh mozzarella pearls

1 lb. strip loin steak (or other lean steak)

1 bunch broccolini, chopped (florets and stems)

1 fennel, sliced thin (optional, but highly recommended)

1 sweet or bell pepper, chopped

1 large red onion, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes (calyxes removed)

2 tbsp. butter, divided

1 tbsp. neutral oil

salt and pepper

**feel free to add any other veggies you like: summer squash and sweet corn would be great additions!

Basil Vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced

juice of one lemon

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1/3-1.2 c. quality olive oil

½ c. fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions to al dente. Strain and rinse with cold water. Let sit to cool off.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. of butter and 1 tbsp. of neutral oil over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and sweet peppers and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the broccolini and onions and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until you start seeing the veggies turn a little brown. Add in the cherry tomatoes and cover with a lid. Let cook for another 3-5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft/popped, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta, sauteed veggies and mozzarella pearls to a large bowl.

In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and sear on one side. Flip and sear again on the other side. Season with salt and pepper and cook to desired doneness. Once cooked, remove from skillet and let rest on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for olive oil and basil. Then, slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup of the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Add in the basil. Taste— it should be quite acidic to cut through the richness of the pasta and steak but you can certainly add more honey, or olive oil to tone it down if you’d like.

Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces, cutting off and discarding any pieces of fat that you see. Add to the pasta. Begin to drizzle the vinaigrette over the pasta while mixing until it feels fully coated. I used all of the vinaigrette for mine, but you may not want to. Do a taste test and season with extra salt if needed (typical store-bought vinaigrettes have a lot of salt in them so know that you may need to salt the pasta salad more than you’d think to bring the flavors out). Top with any extra basil.

Enjoy warm or slightly chilled!

** Please note: if you are not planning to eat everything right away, don’t add all of the vinaigrette to the entire salad. Just add enough to cover to what you’re going to eat right away and save the remainder for leftovers. The reason being that the noodles will absorb the vinaigrette in the fridge and it won’t be as tasty leftover.