Easy marinara steak pasta features a wonderful homemade marinara sauce and perfectly cooked steak, grilled, pan-fried or broiled. When steak and spaghetti come together you've got a dish that can't be beat!
1tablespoonItalian seasoningor 2 tablespoons fresh basil or oregano, minced or 1 teaspoon basil or oregano leaves, dried
¼teaspoonsugar, if desired
½cupgrated Parmesanfor serving (if desired)
Best Grilled Steak
4strip, rib-eye, or tenderloin steaksabout 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick
1tablespoonsalt
1tablespooncornstarch
pepper
Broiled Steak
4strip steaks, rib-eye steaks, or tenderloin steaks1 to 2 inches thick, trimmed
salt
pepper
13 inch deepdisposable aluminum foil roasting pan
Pan Fried Steaks
48 ozboneless rib-eye steaks or top loin steaks1 to 1 ¼ inch thick, dried with paper towel
salt
pepper
oil
Instructions
Get out and measure your ingredients.
Marinara Sauce
Heat oil and garlic in skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant (but not browned), about a minute.
Stir in tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil, sugar and season with salt to taste.
Grilled Steak
Combine salt and cornstarch.
Pat steaks dry with paper towel and rub with salt mixture.
Arrange on wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until steaks are firm and dry to touch, at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour.
Season steaks with pepper.
Grill over hot fire and cover until well browned and cooked to desired doneness; 4 to 8 minutes per side.
Easy Broiled Steak Recipe
Check the notes section for the cooking time based on the size of the steaks you are using.
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To reduce smoking, trim as much unnecessary outside fat and gristle as possible from each of the steaks BEFORE they go on grill.
Spread 2 cups of salt all across the bottom of your deep disposable foil pan. This will prevent smoking and absorb grease.
Pat steaks dry with paper towel, season liberally with salt and pepper and place on wire rack.
Place rack on top of your aluminum foil pan and place it on lower middle rack inside oven.
Cook for 6 to 10 minutes before removing pan from oven. Timing will depend on the thickness of your steaks according to the Easy Broiled Steak Timing Chart above.
Flip steaks over and pat dry with paper towel. Allow to rest for 10 minutes while preheating the broiler.
Transfer pan to the upper-middle oven rack and broil your steaks, flipping every 2 to 4 minutes, until meat registers 125 to 130 degrees (for medium-rare); 6 to 16 minutes.
If you like steaks well-done, continue cooking and flipping as directed until the steaks reach desired internal temperature.
Pan Fried Steaks
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet until very hot for a good sear and crust. Thoroughly drying the steaks is also key. Otherwise steaks will steam and become soggy and not sear.
On stove, turn top element to high heat and ensure heavy bottomed skillet is big enough to hold steaks. Allow to get hot; about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, liberally sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add enough oil to skillet (lightly coat) so steaks don't stick!
Place steaks inside skillet, leaving space between each steak.
Without moving steaks around ,cook until well browned; about 5 minutes.
Using tongs, flip steaks and cook 3 more minute for rare; 4 minutes for medium-rare and 5 minutes for medium.
Rest Steaks and Serve
When steaks are cooked, transfer to plate, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes.
Place cooked pasta inside a bowl.
Cover with sauce and add your sliced steak to top. Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan cheese on top if desired.
Enjoy every bite!
Notes
Steak Broiling Time Chart:Using a tape measure or ruler, measure the thickness of each steak, to determine how long to prebake and broil the steaks.
For one-inch thick, PREBAKE for six minutes and then BROIL, turning steaks every two minutes
For one-and-a-half inches thick, PREBAKE for eight minutes, then BROIL, turning steaks every three minutes
If it's two inches thick, PREBAKE for 10 minutes and while BROILING, turn steaks every four minutes
Expert Tips:For best results serve the perfectly cooked steak alongside or on top of the pasta.A juicy ribeye or New York strip costs a little more than some other steaks but it's so worth it! It has the right amount of marbling for excellent flavor.The steaks should be at room temperature before cooking. I recommend taking the steaks out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking.No matter the cooking method purchase steaks that are similar in size and shape to assist with even cooking. Nutrition is simply an estimate.