Penne Rigate Pasta Salad with Rib Eyes Steak and Balsamic Herb Dressing

This is definitely one of my favorite summer pasta salad recipes.  I can have this for lunch or dinner a few times a week.  In fact, we do.  NO ONE in my family would complain having the same dish over and over again.  “It’s a keeper” kind of recipe and you will want to make it more often.  Not only it’s super simple to prepare, it’s full of flavor and satisfying.  Pair it with a glass of red, relax and enjoy this at your patio on a summer evening makes you forget the long day you had at work.



It’s a versatile dish that you can substitute with your favorite type of pasta, meat and/or vegetable of choice.  I love to use penne rigate pasta (furrowed) in this recipe.  The dressing just hide in between the ridges on the penne and makes each bite a bit more flavorful. 



If you’re not a big fan for Rib Eyes, you can substitute with veal chops, pork chop or even shrimps for the protein in this recipe.  Since my family loves rib eye, it is what I use most of the time.  For the veggies, you can mix it up with spinach, watercress, or arugula for a peppery kick.  Whatever you substitute, don’t omit the herbs and balsamic vinegar here.  Those are the key ingredients that really make this dish pop.  You’ll love the tartness and sweetness from the balsamic vinegar and the spiciness from the mustard.  The flavors really compliment well with each other.  



Go ahead and enjoy a hot summer evening along with this Rib Eyes Steak Pasta Salad.  Your family will definitely requests you to make this dish again.

Besides, there’s a chance you could win $100 to make this dish!  That’s right, $100 USD.  Dreamfields is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter. All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total). The deadline is August 7, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!






Penne Rigate Pasta Salad with Rib Eyes Steak and Balsamic Herb Dressing:
Printable Recipe

1 (1-pound) Boneless Rib Eye steak
Steak seasoning (your favorite brand)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 box of Dreamfields penne pasta
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups salad greens/spring mix


Season the steak with steak seasoning.  In a cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cook steak about 5 minutes per side until medium rare (that’s how I like my steaks; you can cook to your own preference). Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until el dente, follow instructions on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
On the chopping board, add the 1/2 teaspoon salt with the garlic.  Smash the garlic into paste with the back of your knife.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and olive oil until well combined. 
In a large mixing bowl toss the pasta, the reserved pasta water, the dressing and the salad greens together.  Taste the pasta and see if it needs more salt and black pepper.  Arrange dressed pasta salad on plates and arrange steaks on top.  (You can also toss the steaks together with the pasta before arranging on plates if you like)

This recipe is shared with:

Traditional Tuesdays
Full Plate Thursday
Fresh Food Friday
Foodie Friday