Steakhouse Pasta Salad
Loaded with juicy steak, crispy bacon, blue cheese, and a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know I love taking familiar flavor combinations and giving them a new spin. This recipe was inspired by a classic wedge salad, but with all the best parts of a steakhouse dinner: perfectly seared steak, crispy bacon, blue cheese, juicy tomatoes, and a punchy red wine vinaigrette, all tossed together with radiatori for an easy, delicious pasta salad.
One thing I was really intentional about with this recipe was keeping it light. I almost went with a creamy blue cheese dressing, but I figured blue cheese is polarizing enough on its own. So instead, I opted for a simple blend of red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce. That way, the dressing complements the steak and blue cheese instead of competing with them. That said, if you’re a die-hard blue cheese fan, I’ll include a recipe for a creamy blue cheese dressing at the end!
As always, don’t stress about following the recipe exactly. Prefer feta over blue cheese? Go for it. Have spinach on hand instead of arugula? Use that. Recipes should fit your kitchen and your tastes, so make them work for you!
Tips to Take It From Good to Great
Dress the pasta while it’s still warm. Toss the warm pasta with 1 to 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar before adding the dressing. It’ll absorb the flavor and make every bite more delicious.
Let the steak rest. Give it at least 10 minutes before slicing so the juices stay in the meat instead of all over your cutting board.
Fold in the arugula last. The residual warmth from the pasta will soften it just slightly while keeping it fresh and peppery.
Taste before serving. Blue cheese, bacon, and steak all vary in saltiness, so give the salad one final taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or a splash of red wine vinegar if needed.
Steakhouse Pasta Salad
Serves: 6–8
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Click here for the printable recipe
Pasta Salad:
1 lb radiatori pasta
1–1½ lbs NY strip steak (or hanger steak)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
12 oz bacon
2 oz (~ 2 handfuls) baby arugula
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
½ cup pickled red onions
5 oz crumbled blue cheese
1 bunch chives, finely chopped, divided
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar, plus 1 to 2 tbsp for the pasta
1 tsp Dijon mustard, to taste
1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional; for extra creaminess)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp honey (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (½ tsp each)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the radiatori until just past al dente according to the package directions. Drain, then immediately toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, remove the bacon from the package and cut it crosswise into bite-sized pieces using kitchen shears. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Pat the steak(s) dry and season generously on both sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Carefully wipe out the skillet, leaving behind about 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat. Add a small drizzle of olive oil, as bacon fat can smoke, then increase the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add the steak(s) and cook until deeply browned and medium-rare, about 2½ minutes per side for a 1-inch-thick steak. Transfer to a cutting board, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
While the steak rests, prepare the dressing. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the chopped chives, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust with more vinegar, garlic, or salt as needed. Alternatively, add everything to a mason jar, seal, and shake until combined.
Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the dressing and toss until evenly coated.
Fold in the arugula, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, bacon, reserving a little for garnish, blue cheese, reserving a little for garnish, and the remaining chives, reserving a little for garnish.
Add the sliced steak and gently toss just until combined. Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or another splash of red wine vinegar if needed.
Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon, blue cheese, chives, and a few cracks of black pepper.
Blue Cheese Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp buttermilk, plus more as needed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
4 oz crumbled blue cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste