A Holiday Meal

For the steak and pasta lovers out there, this is a meal for you!

Seared Skirt Steak served with Aglio e Olio and Honey Roasted Carrots

If you are looking for a nice holiday meal or even something to serve at your downsized thanksgiving, this is a meal that screams fall to me. Due to its use of roasted root vegetables, zesty pasta, and red meat, it is an indulgent supper that can be especially appreciated in these colder months. Instead of your traditional steak and potatoes, the pasta with this dish has a light olive oil sauce which is a less stodgy compliment to the hearty steak. It is also served with roasted carrots which give the dish a bit of char and sweetness. The recipe makes around 4 portions.

Note-The suggested game plan to complete this meal is as follows:

1. Marinate the steak the night before

2. Day of: Preheat the oven

3. Pull the steak out to temper

4. Boil the water for pasta

5. Season and Roast the carrots

6. Cook the pasta

7. When carrots are halfway, cook the steak

8. When Steak is resting, finish the pasta

9. Serve all of it warm

Ingredients

Seared Skirt Steak:

1 ea skirt steak (1lb)

3 tbsp garlic, minced

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp canola oil

Honey Roasted Carrots:

4 ea carrots, batonnet or a bag of carrot sticks

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning (mine was marjoram, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, and sage)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio:

8 ozs spaghetti

2 tbsp olive oil

6 ea garlic, sliced

6 ea mushroom, chopped

2 tbsp red pepper flakes

½ cup pasta water

2 tsp dried parsley

salt to taste

Method

Steak:

1. In a plastic bag, marinade the skirt steak for 8 hours to overnight in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt.

2. After the steak has been marinated, pull out of a plastic bag, pat dry, and place onto a plastic cutting board to air dry and come to room temperature. This ensures that when the steak is cooked, it browns and cooks evenly.

3. Once steak is room temp, give another light sprinkle of salt and pepper.

4. Heat a sauteuse with oil up to medium high heat. Place steak into oil and sear one side for about 3 minutes. Then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes. This will cook the steak to medium rare. Cook longer for desired doneness.

5. Once the steak is cooked, let rest for at least 8 minutes. When you serve, cut into slices against the grain.

Carrots:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. In a large bowl, mix cut carrots, olive oil, honey, sage, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then spread the carrots out on a sheet pan lined with foil.

3. Bake the carrots in the oven for 18 minutes or until they are tender and golden brown and crispy on the bottom.

4. When the carrots are done, pull them out of the oven and serve with the pasta and steak.

Pasta Aglio e Olio:

1. Boil salted water in a large sauce pot, then place spaghetti in to cook until just under al dente. Check your pasta box for how long it says to cook the pasta and cook 2 minutes under that.

2. Strain cooked spaghetti, while reserving around a cup of pasta water.

3. In a non-stick sauteuse, heat olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add in garlic letting the garlic toast and flavor the oil. Next add in mushroom, and red pepper flakes until the oil starts to smell fragrant. Then add in spaghetti and about half of the reserved pasta water. Let simmer until most of the water evaporates, then stir in the parsley.

4. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Serve with steak and carrots.