Pasta Salad with Pesto, Seared Steak and Feta
Healthy summer dishes
This recipe combines some of my favorite ingredients together into one dish. It also adds a unique twist on the classic pasta dish by layering the bottom of the plate with arugula, a perfect way to sneak in some veggies for the day. The spicy arugula is the perfect base for this light pasta salad. This is a great dish to take to a picnic, just separate the hot pasta from the meat and the lettuce. Here I took some homemade pesto and mixed it with these little potato dumplings. Gnocchi can be used in so many recipes and is a great vessle to soak up all the flavors from the surrounding ingredients. Here are a couple other ways to use gnoochi:
Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons
Pasta Fagioli
The seared steak adds protein to the dish to make this a satisfying and delicious meal. For a vegetarian option, just omit the steak and add grilled tofu or tempeh.
Check out your local farmer's market for the freshest ingredients.
Pasta Salad with Pesto, Seared Steak and Feta
Serves 4
Ingredients
* 4 boneless rib-eye steaks (each 3 ounces)
* Olive oil
* Salt and pepper
* 1 bunch fresh arugula, stems removed
* 1/2 cup prepared pesto (recipe below)
* 1 pound fresh or frozen gnocchi
* 1 pint red grape tomatoes, halved
* 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta
Basil-Walnut Pesto
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
* 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, (2-3 bunches)
* 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
* 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 large clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Preheat a grill. Drizzle the steak with oil and season with salt, and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes on the each side for medium rare. Remove the steak from the grill and slice.
2. Place basil, walnuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor; pulse a few times, then process until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta.
4. Toss the pasta with the pesto. Layer arugula on the bottom of the plate, top with halved cherry tomatoes and pesto gnocchi. Top with feta cheese and place the sliced steak around the plate.
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