Whenever my husband and I go out to dinner, we are always choosing between a steakhouse (his favorite) and an Italian restaurant (my favorite). I tried to combine those two in one dish. The result? This steak and tortellini in a pesto cream sauce. The fresh basil pesto elevates the heartiness of the beef with the flavor enhanced by the addition of cream, freshly grated cheese, mushrooms, asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
The pesto used in this recipe was made with fresh basil and pine nuts. To add variety, however, you could use parsley or walnuts (find toasted walnut option here). Want to make this dish even easier? Buy pre-made pesto at the store – choose a refrigerated option for freshest flavor! I chose a basic cheese tortellini for this recipe, however a gemelli, fusilli or rigatoni would also work well.
Flat iron steak was the cut of beef I chose for this recipe, however you can certainly use your favorite cut. I recommend using one with marbling for maximum flavor. Ribeyes, strip steaks or sirloins are all good options. I used a basic steak seasoning that included salt, pepper, garlic and onion to keep things simple – the steak itself combined with the sauce provides plenty of flavor!
My husband cooked our steak using a sous vide (I highly recommend an Anova if you are in the market) with a final quick sear on a cast iron. You could also cook it entirely on the stove top if desired (for medium rare, cook 3-4 minutes each side with an additional 1 minute for the edges until brown). We used avocado oil for searing as it has a high smoke point and neutral flavor – canola, peanut or grapeseed oils would also suffice. Serve the steak directly on the pasta to allow all those delicious juices to combine! And please let me know how you enjoy my steak and tortellini in a pesto cream sauce!
Steak and Tortellini in a Pesto Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil, packed
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Pesto Cream Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 oz white mushrooms, sliced
- 4 oz asparagus, cut into 1" pieced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/3 cup asiago cheese, freshly grated
- 1/3 cup parmesan, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup prepared pesto (see ingredients above)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- sea salt, to taste
- 1 lb tortellini (or pasta of your choice), prepared according to package instructions
Steak
- 1.5 lbs flat iron steak
- steak seasoning
- sea salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- avocado oil
Instructions
Steak
- Pat steak dry and season generously with salt and steak seasoning.
- If preparing using a Sous Vide, vacuum seal and place in 135 degree water bath for 2 hours.
- After sauce has been prepared (see below), heat avocado oil in cast iron skilled over high heat (just enough oil to coat bottom of skillet). Remove steak from vacuum seal. Pat dry.
- Sear first side of steak for 1 minute. Add butter and minced garlic to skillet as you flip to second side. Sear 1 minute while basting with butter and garlic mixture. Sear two edges for 30" each. Remove from skillet and rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Pesto
- In food processor, combine basil, parmesan, garlic, and pine nuts until fine.
- Slowly add olive oil until well blended. Set aside.
Pesto Cream Sauce
- Over medium heat, melt butter in large sauté pan. Add mushrooms, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Whisk flour into cream until no lumps appear. Add cream mixture and 1/2 cup prepared pesto into pan. Stir until blended.
- Add parmesan and asiago cheeses. Stir until melted. Add salt to taste.
- Heat for additional 5 minutes to thicken and reduce, stirring frequently (do not boil).
- Prepare tortellini according to package instructions.
- Toss pasta in sauce. Top with sliced steak and serve.
