steak pasta salad is SO good – and barely a recipe!
Steak pasta salad is another one of those not-recipe recipes that I’ve made time after time for DECADES and never ever disappoints!
do you like pasta salad?
Full disclosure: pasta salad recipes typically disappoint – for me there’s always too many things in your average offering that I don’t care for (OLIVES!!!!), and it just seems like a lot of meh carbs to put on the side of the main course.
but what if the pasta salad WAS the main course?
And then I started making this main course pasta salad that is chef’s kiss my dear readers. Delicious, satisfying and insanely easy!
what’s in it?
The ingredient list for this pasta salad recipe couldn’t be simpler:
olive oil
red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
flank steak
pasta
cherry tomatoes
mozzarella balls
baby arugula
parmesan
how do you make it?
You’ll start by whisking up a simple vinaigrette – this acts as both marinade for the steak and the dressing for the salad. Coat the steak in some of the vinaigrette and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, or up to overnight.
Cook or grill the steak till the meat reaches desired temperature while you prepare the pasta. Once cooked, thinly slice the steak and place in a large bowl. Add the drained pasta along with the rest of the ingredients. Toss with the remaining vinaigrette and serve!
this dish is VERY flexible!
In addition to being so delicious, this salad can be served warm or at room temperature. This makes it a perfect dish for entertaining or bringing to a party/barbecue/picnic. It also means that leftovers are just as tasty. I like to hold off on adding the arugula and parmesan till just before serving, but everything else can sit for several hours, soaking up the dressing and getting even better!
And while we love the recipe as written you can easily swap any or all of the components. You can use a gluten free pasta if you prefer, eliminate the cheese or substitute baby spinach for the arugula. Green beans, red bell pepper and yes, even olives can all be added – individually or in combination.
And while flank steak is my number one choice for this dish it will work just as beautifully with chicken, shrimp or even cubes of crispy tofu!
Labor Day is this weekend and this is a perfect, easy-peasy recipe to whip up and serve – let me know if you make it!
Steak Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 1 pound flank steak
- 1 pound pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 container mozzarella balls, halved
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- wedge of parmesan
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette:
- Mix the vinegar and mustard together, then slowly whisk in the oil till emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the salad:
- Place the steak in a shallow dish. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper, and pour enough vinaigrette over the steak to cover. Turn to coat evenly and let marinate in the fridge for at least one hour or up to overnight. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette.
- Prepare the pasta according to directions; drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss with some of the reserved vinaigrette. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella and arugula.
- Grill the steak till medium-rare. Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes and then thinly slice against the grain. Add to the pasta and toss to combine. Add more vinaigrette if needed.
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave large pieces of parmesan over the top of the salad prior to serving.
Notes
- This dish can be made early in the day and kept covered, in the fridge. Bring to room temperature prior to serving.
- If making in advance leave out the arugula till just before serving.
Nutrition
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6 Comments
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Hi! I'm Sheri!
Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!
Looks yummy!
I work my way through the Mark Bittman NYT salads a grilling and picnic lists in the summer whether at home or at the cottage. And Brooklyn Supper too – great, creative, simple salads.
I love the heat and the humidity. Call me crazy!
That’s cause you have the good hair. 😉
Heat, humidity… I seem to flock to it, whether in NY/NJ and now Atlanta. It’s in my bones I guess. 🙂 This recipe looks great. Flank steak is one of my faves on the grill!
Oh good – I love it too! 🙂
Yum! My kind of pasta salad!
Yay! Such a good one!