Giada Does it Again: Shells with Beef & Arugula

I’m not a huge red meat eater. I much rather enjoy pasta, veggie, and seafood dishes. However, I came across this recipe in my Giada De Laurentiis Everyday Pasta cookbook and it piqued my interest. Seeing that it also incorporated some of my favorite greens and herbs (arugula and basil), I thought that it would be a great dish to make this Sunday. Today was a cold winter day in Boston and I was certainly looking for something hearty to cap it all off.

This dish definitely packs a punch. It’s super easy to make, and the flavor profiles are unique. And let’s face it, everyone deserves to treat themselves to  New York strip steak once in a while right?

Ingredients:

• 2 New York strip steaks
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound penne (we used shells) pasta
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leave parsley
• 2 cups chopped arugula

Directions:

• Season the steak with salt and pepper, herbes de Provence, and the minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tabelspoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the steaks for about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest while you cook the pasta.
• Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta reserving ¼ cup of water.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, basil, parsley and ¾ cup olive oil. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Set aside.
• Slice the steaks thin and add to the pasta with the arugula. Add more dressing, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serves 6-8.