Farfalle with Flank Steak
I probably don’t need to say it, but the next letter in this alphabetic pasta journey is, in fact, the letter F. I could’ve easily done something simple like fettuccine alfredo or something with fusilli, but I wanted to do something different and challenge my creativity a bit more. What I wanted to do is come up with a pasta dish using as many ingredients that start with F as I could think of.
Believe it or not, there are lots of ingredients that start with F. There’s fungus (mushrooms), farro, feta cheese, fish, flounder, flank steak, fenugreek, fennel, and fontina cheese. All delicious, but I’m sure that by picking the right ingredients I will make something fantastic!
Serves 4
Salt
1 pound Farfalle (bowtie pasta)
1/3 cup white wine vinegar (I didn’t say every ingredient in this recipe would start with F)
2 tsp sugar
2 large bulbs of fennel, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (divided), plus 2 tbsp chopped fennel fronds
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
12oz cremini mushrooms (fungi), thinly sliced
1 large leek, white and light green parts quartered thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated fontina cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
While you wait for the water to boil, combine the vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp salt and the sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Nuke for about 1 minute, or until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add half of the sliced fennel, then set aside while you make the rest of the dish.
(I thought that the pickled fennel would be nice to cut through the richness of the dish)
Heat a wide cast iron skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Season both sides of the flank steak with salt and pepper, then lay in the steak and cook for about 4-5 minutes each side, or until nicely browned and cooked to your liking.
As soon as the steak goes in, dump the pasta into the boiling water and boil for about 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente.
Once the steak is cooked, set aside to rest for a few minutes. Wipe out the pan, add a bit more oil, then add the remaining sliced fennel, mushrooms, leeks, and a pinch of salt. Sautee the veggies for about 5 minutes, or until browned.
Add the cream and bring that to a simmer. Drain the pasta, then stir that into the sauce and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the shredded cheese, then stir until melted and combined, then season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, divide the pasta mixture among plates. Thinly slice the steak against the grain into 2-inch long strips, then lay that on top of the pasta. Top with some of the pickled fennel and fennel fronds.
