Steak Pesto Pasta Salad’s with Blistered Tomatoes
A new summer staple packed with delicious Italian flavors
Honestly, nothing says summer like a good ol’ pasta salad. Add some grilled steak on top, and you have yourself a perfectly balanced and nutritious meal. You can skip the arugula if you want this to just be a pesto pasta instead, but I love the peppery bite of arugula in contrast to the sweet bites of blistered tomatoes. All of the flavors marry beautifully: the fresh and herby pesto, sweet and earthy blistered tomatoes, peppery arugula, creamy mozz, and that delicious smoky steak. Full recipe is below, you’re gonna wanna make this one!!!
For the steak:
-hanger, flank, or skirt steak
-seasoning of choice (I used Jacobsen salt co. Steak seasoning)
For the basil pesto:
-4-5 heaping cups basil leaves
-1/3 cup nuts of choice (my favorite combo is pine nuts + cashews)
-2 cloves garlic
-2 small peels of lemon
-2 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tsp salt
-3/4 cup olive oil
For the salads:
-arugula
-grilled steak
-pasta of choice (I used Jovial’s gluten-free fusilli)
-homemade pesto
-baby tomatoes (12oz container)
-mozzarella pearls
-Parmigiano reggiano
-concentrated balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
-lemon zest to top
-Freshly cracked black pepper to top
To make:
To blister the tomatoes, heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Toss the tomatoes in olive oil and a bit of salt, then add them to the heated pan. Let them cook for a couple minutes undisturbed, then scoot them around every couple minutes to ensure charring on multiple areas. Once the tomatoes begin to wilt and pop, take them off the heat.
To make the pesto, add all ingredients to a small blender and blend until combined.
Cook your pasta of choice to al dente, then strain. Add back to a heated pot and stir in some of the pesto to coat all of the noodles.
To assemble the salads, start with a bed of arugula on each plate. Drizzle the arugula with a bit of olive oil then massage the arugula to tenderize it. Add some of the pesto pasta on top of each salad. Arrange slices of grilled steak around the side of each bowl. Add some of the blistered tomatoes as well as the mozzarella pearls to each plate. Finish with extra pesto, grated lemon zest, Parmigiano, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Top with cracked black pepper if you’d like and enjoy!! Serving suggestion below.
