Steak and Arugula Pasta Salad
I hope everyone's had a nice Labor Day weekend. We went camping, unplugged and enjoyed a little outdoor time. Coming home to an endless pile of camping laundry is not the time I want to start a big meal, so a simple pasta salad like this one is perfect. Frying up the skirt steak is the only thing that requires any effort, really; everything else is just chop, dice, mix and serve. Perfect for a night when you have other priorities. Enjoy!
Steak and Arugula Pasta Salad
Serves 8
Ingredients:
6 cups cooked pasta of choice
1 large bell pepper, diced
4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 large tomato, diced, inner seeds discarded
2 handfuls arugula
2 lbs skirt steak
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Feta cheese, for garnish
Ingredients for dressing:
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons pepperoncini (banana) peppers, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
1. To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired, then cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the skirt steak with a little salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over high heat (pan must large enough to fit the skirt steak; otherwise you may need to cut the steak in half and fry in batches). Once the pan is heated thoroughly, add 2 tablespoons of oil. The oil will start to shimmer in about 10 seconds; add the seasoned steak and fry until golden brown on one side. Flip, and fry the other side. Repeat with remaining steak, then remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. To a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, bell pepper, boiled eggs, tomatoes, arugula and combine. After the steak has rested, slice the steak thinly and mix into the salad.
4. Mix in the dressing until well incorporated, then top with feta cheese. (Do not dress the salad until you are ready to serve). Enjoy.
All content is my own unless otherwise stated