Red pepper and Steak Pasta Salad
Roasted red peppers are one of my favorite things to make. Sure, you could easily grab roasted red peppers from a jar, but you should know that they are very easy to make and make a delicious sweet and smoky addition to salads, pasta, mac and cheese, and I’ve even done a fantastic dip that’s just roasted peppers blended with feta cheese and olive oil.
It’s that kind of flavor profile that I wanted to converge into a wonderful pasta salad loaded with grilled steak, corn, cucumber, pickled shallots, and a dressing made from said roasted peppers, making it the perfect summertime salad.
Thinking about this pasta salad is already making my mouth water, so let’s get right to it!
Makes 6-8 servings (depends on how hungry you and your guests are)
For the Steak:
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2tsp agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound flank steak
For the pickled shallots:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 large shallots
For the Dressing:
2 large red bell peppers
Olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
For the Salad:
1 pound cavatappi, or any small pasta
2 ears of corn on the cob, husked
1 cucumber, ends trimmed, cut into quarters then thinly sliced
8 oz block of feta cheese, cut into small cubes
Marinate the steak. Lay the rosemary and thyme sprigs down onto your cutting board, take the back of a knife and whack the herbs in many places. Doing so bruises the herbs and helps them release more flavor.
Cut the herbs into 4, then place into a bowl with the garlic, agave, vinegar, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk everything together, then stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly to get a nice emulsion. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Place the flank steak into a large resealable bag, pour the marinade on top and shake it around so all of the steak gets coated. Leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
Make the pickled shallots. Heat the vinegar, salt, sugar, and 1/2 cup of water in the microwave until the liquid starts bubbling. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve, then add the shallots and move to the fridge to cool and let the pickling liquid do it’s thing.
Roast the peppers. Fire up the grill or broiler as hot as it can go and bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Rub the bell peppers with oil, then grill for about 5 minutes per side, or until all sides of the peppers are charred. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
(Look if you want to save time by using a jar of store bought roasted red peppers…I’ll allow it)
While the peppers cool and the grill is still hot, add on the steak and corn then grill the steak for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how done you like it, and the corn for 4 minutes a side until charred. Set aside to rest once done.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions for al dente. Drain, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Make the dressing. Once the peppers have cooled, remove the charred skin, tear them open then remove and discard the stems and seeds. Move the peppers to a blender along with the vinegar, oil, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then taste it and adjust accordingly.
Assemble. Dump the pasta into a large salad bowl. Cut the steak into bite sized pieces, cut the corn kernels off the cob, and remove the shallots from their pickling liquid, then add all of that into the bowl with the pasta along with the cucumber.
Add half of the red pepper dressing, then toss to combine, and add more dressing if needed. Finally sprinkle the feta cheese cubes on top of everything, and you’re ready to serve!