Wednesday Recipes: An Original (sort of)--Steak Gorgonzola, Inspired by Olive Garden

For some time, my husband's favorite meal at Olive Garden was their Steak Gorgonzola pasta, until they discontinued it from the menu. We haven't really gone back since then, so if they added it back, I apologize. At the same time, though, I didn't want my husband to go without one of his favorite dishes--so here's my version. :)

Steak Gorgonzola Pasta

Ingredients:

16 ounces penne (or bowtie) pasta

8-ounce ribeye (or NY strip, check out prices) steak per person

Balsamic vinegar glaze (purchased)*See hint below

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour (or 1/2 cup butter and flour, depending on how much you want to make)

2 cups milk

4 ounces parmesan cheese

8 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles

2 tablespoons butter--or 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil for sauteeing

8-ounces fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sundried tomatoes in oil

Shredded or Grated parmesan

Toasted Walnut pieces

Directions:

1. Slice steak into bite-sized pieces, discarding fat.

2. Remove stems from spinach (this is a me thing--keep the stems if you don't mind them).

3. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet. Saute spinach and garlic together. When spinach is cooked, remove spinach and garlic to a large ceramic bowl and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm while cooking other ingredients.

4. Make alfredo sauce:

   1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot.

   2. Add flour and whisk until a roux, or paste, is formed.

   3. Add milk about a half cup at a time, stirring after each to make sure no lumps form. Allow to thicken after each addition.

   4. When all milk has been absorbed, add about half a cup of parmesan and half a cup of gorgonzola. Stir to combine. Cover and remove pot to the side of the stove, keep warm as other things get heated.

   
   

   5. Cook pasta according to package directions.

   6. In the meantime, cook steak in same skillet that housed the spinach and garlic. Cook the steak to about medium. Drizzle heavily with balsamic glaze (hint: Walmart and other stores create different version of the glaze for a relatively inexpensive price--I love blood-orange infused. You can also combine the glaze with olive oil and seasonings to dip your baguette into as a side).

   7. Add pasta, alfredo sauce, and steak mixture to the bowl with spinach already present. Stir to combine.

   8. To serve: offer sundried tomatoes and toasted walnuts and more gorgonzala as toppings.

   
   

   That's my son's serving size in the picture--enjoy!!