Steak Pappardelle

Maybe you've been to a wedding and brought home half a filet or you might have splurged and cooked a big steak or chop to last a few days.  The things you can do with that gorgeous hunk wrapped up in the fridge are precious and myriad.  Of course you could make one of these...

Steak Cobb Salad

• steak and fried eggs with toast and jelly
• steak sandwich with cheddar and sour cream horseradish sauce
• steak-filled omelet
• Philly steak sandwich
• hash 
• pepper steak
• steak and mushrooms on toast
• stir fry and rice
• steak and blue cheese grits, or
• Alyce's Steak Cobb Salad
• Alyce's Homemade Potato Chip-Steak Salad
• your favorite

Alyce's Homemade Potato Chip-Steak Salad with Blue Cheese

In fact, there are those that feel the things you later make out of that leftover jewel are most likely the best thing of all. (Maybe we should call them something besides leftovers.) My friend Chris' husband, Dave, is like that.  Leftovers are treasures, gold in the fridge.  For instance, I adore pork tenderloin. But I think I'm most happy to make it just knowing I'll have lean pork fajitas or a dish I make where I sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms with rosemary and then add some broth and cream for a sauce to serve over rice. That dish needs a name.

On Sunday nights, we don't truly cook.  Not from scratch. I work Sundays and by Sunday night....you get it.




 Dinner is wine and cheese.  Leftovers thrown in a pan. Frozen chili heated. A quick one-pan wonder.  It's our night to watch a movie with tv trays or "Downton Abbey" (when in season) or, like now, "The Newsroom."



When I began this meal, I knew I had some steak and a beautiful package of pappardelle I bought at the Italian market.  (The pasta was out of date by a month. Given it was pasta, I took my chances.)  As I'm about to  move, I didn't have a tremendous amount more, but I did have large cherry tomatoes from my garden (or did after I sent Dave out to pick them), shallots, garlic, carrots, arugula, white wine, and cream.

I didn't know what would transpire, but I began to cook and the resulting velvety, chewy, tender-crispy pasta was more than I needed for dinner.  And it gave each of us a steak meal again.  Try this (or try something using your own leftover meat (shrimp, chicken) and available ingredients.....) The ingredients needed for this particular dish are in bold italics:

Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and place two shallow pasta bowls or plates in to warm while you make the pasta and the sauce. (optional, but lovely)

Put your pasta pot on to boil.  The pot in picture is an 8-quart pot with 6 quarts of salted and peppered water. Add 1/2 pound (8 ounces) pappardelle and cook about 2 1/2 or 3 minutes. Drain. (Meanwhile you'll slice the meat and make the quick sauce.)  You'll need 3 cups of pasta; the rest is for the fridge!

 Slice 4 ounces cooked steak thinly and toss with 1 tablespoon chopped basil and 1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Set aside to come to room temperature.

Meanwhile make the fresh sauce. (Don't over cook it; it's meant to have just barely cooked-together elements.) Add 1/4 cup salted and peppered water to your deep skillet or sauté pan along with a pinch of crushed red pepper, 2 each thinly sliced carrots, shallots,  and cloves of garlic.  Cover and let cook over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes, watching carefully, or until carrots are nearly tender and the water is gone--or nearly so.   Add 2 teaspoons each olive oil and butter, along with a cup of cherry tomatoes and 2 cups fresh arugula. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Let cook a minute or so, stirring.  Add 1/4 cup white wine and cook down for a couple of of minutes until reduced.  Stir in 2 tablespoons each chopped fresh basil and heavy cream and warm through.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  (If it gets too dry, add a little more wine or water and/or butter and cook down a bit again--you must cook the wine.)

Add 1 1/2 cups or so of the pappardelle to each of two warmed pasta bowls and ladle some sauce over the top.  Divide the steak-basil mixture evenly between the two and sprinkle with  grated Parmesan and freshly ground fresh black pepper.  Serve immediately.  

Have fun cooking and taking care of yourself,
Alyce