Why This Creamy Steak Pasta Works
A balsamic-marinated crusty steak meets velvety, Parmesan-infused Alfredo.
Even 30 minutes in the balsamic marinade transforms a sirloin (or ribeye) into something that tastes like it was handled by someone who really knew what they were doing.
The cream sauce takes five minutes thanks to a combination of butter, garlic, heavy cream, and freshly grated parmesan. I finish it with balsamic glaze and crumbled blue cheese (I’m a sucker for toppings and garnishes!).
Everything comes together in the time it takes the pasta to boil. Nothing is hard even if the result look like it!
There’s really nothing like a perfectly cooked ribeye on top of creamy alfredo sauce pasta.
Related: try balsamic flank steak for another take on this delicoius marinde.
If you’re craving another pasta recipe, try one pot taco pasta, braised short rib pasta, or salmon pesto pasta.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Steak
- Sirloin or ribeye steak: Sirloin is the move here. It has enough marbling to stay tender after searing and slices cleanly once it rests. Ribeye works for a richer result.
- Balsamic vinegar: For the marinade. This is what adds flavor depth to the steak before it ever touches the pan.
- Olive oil: Helps achieve a golden, flavorful sear.
Fettuccine Alfredo
- Fettuccine: A classic pasta choice; gluten-free works well, too.
- Unsalted butter: Creates a base for the sauce.
- GarlicFreshly minced for bold, aromatic flavor.
- Flour: Helps thicken the sauce; use gluten-free if needed.
- Milk: Any variety works, from dairy to plant-based alternatives.
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is best. Pre-shredded has a coating that prevents it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
- Fresh spinach (optional) – Wilts beautifully into the sauce for added greens.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – A burst of sweet-tart flavor to complement the rich sauce.
I use these same steak-searing techniques in my Thai steak salad recipe and spinach and mushroom stuffed flank steak..
How to Make Steak Pasta
Step 1. Marinate the steak: Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper and place in a ziplock or reusable storage bag with the balsamic vinegar and little olive oil and marinate in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
Step 2. Sear the steak: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the steak for 4-6 minutes per side, adjusting based on thickness and desired doneness. Once cooked, let the steak rest on a cutting board while you make the cream sauce.
Step 3. Make the roux: Melt butter in a separate pan. Cook the garlic then sprinkle on the butter and whisk to create a thick paste (a roux). Cook the roux for 2-3 minutes so flour cooks fully.
Step 4. Make the cream sauce: Whisk in the cream and parmesan until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the cream sauce and toss to coat. Stir in reserved pasta cooking water to thin it out if needed.
- Slice the steak: thinly slice the rested steak. Top your pasta and finish with balsamic glaze, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped parsley.
Cook the Steak to 130°F for Medium-Rare
I highly recommend using or investing in an instant read thermometer to help you know when the steak is done.
For medium-rare steak, II like to remove my steak from the heat when it reaches about 130-135°F to allow for a few degrees of carryover cooking.
This gives you crusty outside with a pink center. It’s the best for this steak pasta, but you can look at my guide to determining beef doneness or view the chart below, if you prefer a medium or medium-well steak.
| Doneness | Remove from Heat | Target Temperature |
| Rare | 120-125°F (49°C) | 125-130°F (52°C) |
| Medium-Rare | 125-130°F (54°C) | 130-135°F (57°C) |
| Medium | 135-140°F (60°C) | 140-145°F (63°C) |
| Medium-Well | 145°F (63°C) | 150°F (66°C) |
| Well Done | 150°F+ (65°C+) | 160°F+ (71°C+) |
My Tips for a Perfect Steak Pasta Alfredo
- Pat the steak completely dry before it hits the pan. A wet steak steams instead of sears. You want a golden crust. That crust is flavor.
- Rest the steak for at least five minutes before slicing. This keeps the juices in the meat. Always slice against the grain.
- Use freshly grated parmesan. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that keeps it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water. A splash into the cream sauce keeps it loose and silky without diluting the parmesan flavor.
What to Serve with Creamy Steak Pasta
This is a full dinner on its own. If you want something alongside it, a crisp salad is the right call. La Scala chopped salad or brussels sprout Caesar salad works well here, or keep it simple with a green salad.
For bread, sourdough buns or cottage cheese dinner rolls soak up any leftover sauce.
And if you need a veggie in your life, roasted rainbow carrots or roasted mini peppers make a great addition.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover steak pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the pasta, warm it on the stovetop over low heat, adding a bit of milk or cream to restore the sauce’s texture and creaminess. Check out my leftover steak reheating guide to help keep the steak tender.
More Pasta Recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Steak Pasta Alfredo
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Ingredients
Steak
- 1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak or ribeye steak
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta gluten-free if needed
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons flour gluten-free if needed
- 2 cups milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional toppings: balsamic glaze, blue cheese, fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper and place in a ziplock or reusable storage bag with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, or overnight1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
- While the steak is marinating, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta from the rest of the water and set aside.12 oz fettuccine pasta
- Heat a large skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Sear the steak for 4 minutes on each side or until it reaches your desired doneness. I like to remove the steak when it reaches an internal temp of 135°F for medium-rare steak (target temp 145°F). Rest for 10 minutes.
- While the steak is resting, melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the flour to the butter and stir well to create a paste (a roux). Cook the roux for 2-3 minutes to ensure the flour is fully cooked.3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 cloves garlic, 3 Tablespoons flour
- Slowly whisk in the milk then add the salt and pepper. Continue to stir and simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted and combined.2 cups milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Toss the cooked pasta with the alfredo sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, pour in the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time to reach your desired consistency.
- Slice the steak into thin pieces. Divide the pasta into bowl and top with steak slices. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with gorgonzola cheese and fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! While fettuccine is traditional, penne pasta, linguine, or even pappardelle are excellent alternatives.
Gently reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a bit of milk or cream to maintain the sauce’s creaminess.
Yes! The classic alfredo sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before tossing with freshly cooked pasta.
For a lighter version, substitute half of the heavy cream with whole milk or use a milk alternative like unsweetened almond milk.
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Turned out great! The whole family loved it! I was able to make the pasta gluten free to fit our diet. Definitely adding to the rotation!
Love it when I make it in the rotation. Thanks Samantha!
This was pretty good! The steak was really good but I think I messed up on the alfredo sauce because it was way too thick and needed way more pasta water and cheese but overall super good will keep it in the rotation!
The balance of the balsamic marinade and the alfredo = *chef’s kiss* Wouldn’t change a thing!
Thank you so much!
Used jar Alfredo and added asparagus but will definitely be adding this into our regular rotation of meals. Thank you so much!! Amazing.
I made this recipe for dinner and my youngest actually loved the steak so much…she actually loved the whole thing but said the steak was her favorite part. Haha! My 2 older girls loved it so much! Thank u for sharing this recipe with us! Btw, how do u make the balsamic glaze? There was no instruction on that part…TIA☺️
Thanks, Tammy! I bought the balsamic glaze. It’s just a store bought glaze we keep in our pantry! But you can make it yourself my reducing balsamic vinegar on the stove until it turns into a glaze. Thanks!
Thank you for that information! I have a steak already prepared from a local restaurant and wanted to make the glaze & pasta! Now all I have to do is buy some glaze!!
Hi there, does it matter which Parsley to use? I guess there’s the flat-leaf parsley and there’s also curly parsley. TIA. ☺️
Hey there! I typically use the curly parsley, but both work fine here!
Excellent! and I was so happy to try it and so were my kids. They loved the rib-eye.
TONS OF FLAVOR. My son said, “Mom, this is meat for a King!”
Previous person complaining did not follow recipe or is afraid of salt. There is zero probability a person can end up with no flavor with the said ingredients in this recipe! 💯
Sundried tomatoes, garlic…reach for your salt and pepper much?? 🙄There’s a half cup of Parmesan in the sauce!
The best part is to DASH a bit of the balsamic vinegar excellence on the steak!
It is great and we are very happy to add it to our recipe screenshot list in mom’s computer! 😊
Love that, Rachel!!! Thanks so much!
Well, I’ll apparently be the first to say this recipe wasn’t as good as expected. Apart from the Gargozolo, it needed some flavor in the worst way. The creamy sauce was flat bland. Noodles have to go into sauce immediately when al dente or they get soggy. Not a whole lot to tie the steak to the pasta. It’s a terrible shame to have a cream sauce without exquisite taste, but this accomplished exactly that.
Love ya Molly, but this recipe was a miss.
Bummer to hear you think that! This is a super classic alfredo cream sauce with butter, parmesan, and heavy cream. It actually includes more flavor like tomatoes and spinach—so I’m surprised you had this result. You may need to add salt to your taste. That makes a big difference to some. Did you use gluten-free noodles? That can happen, but depends on which brand you use. I’ve made this several times and didn’t have this experience, but apprecate your feedback. Thanks!
This was pretty good & super quick and easy to make! I did add extra seasoning to the marinade like another commenter said. I would definitely add more salt and pepper next time to the pasta sauce. I also cooked the marinade after the steak finished with the pasta sauce.
Delicious exactly as written and easy to make. Use the best ingredients you can find. Made this as an alternative to traditional Thanksgiving meal as we had two Thanksgiving gatherings this year. Used American wagyu ribeye and homemade fettuccini and homemade rosemary and garlic artisan loaf. Outstanding meal! Thank you!
this was soooo yummy! however, i added a few extra things that i think really brought out the delicious flavors in this dish. first off, when i marinated the steak i cut it into strips raw and added raw minced garlic to the mix, as well as some basic italian seasoning and paprika. after cooking the steak, i set it aside and made the sauce in the same pan! i also added red onion to the butter and garlic before making a roux. i added paprika and italian seasoning to the sauce as well. cooking the sauce in the same pan as the steak made it pick up some more flavor! yummy and i will definitely make again 🙂
SO SO good! I made ours with a venison sirloin. Even my 3 year old loved it! I stayed almost entirely true to the recipe except for the sub for venison and I used 1 C frozen chopped spinach instead.
I think personally I would add some more sun-dried tomato and I might marinade the meat with some more seasonings; it didn’t pick up a ton of balsamic flavor but the balsamic DID do an amazing job in the searing process for a gorgeous crust. Also note the sauce is very thick even with the pasta water. It was creamy and delicious but next time I might try 2 Tbs flour for a sauce a little thinner.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I was looking for some way to use venison sirloin other than street tacos and I’m so happy I found this one. Defs going to make again!
This is my new favorite recipe! Quite possibly the best pasta I’ve ever had. This recipe is so simple but so flavorful and uses a lot of ingredients I already have on hand. Highly recommend!
Thank you, Caroline!! That means so much. We have this one on our meal plan to make tomorrow!
Your ingredients up top say heavy cream, but your ingredient list says milk. I’m just going to mix both, but think that should be clarified.