Penne with Beef and Arugula

This is simple, yet delicious. And I'm sure in the next few weeks, you'll have reason to want something both fast enough for a weeknight, but elegant enough for dinner guests.

Cook this steak to your preferred degree of done-ness. I like it red as red can be, but knowing that not everyone likes their beef still mooing, I usually go for medium/medium-rare. Also, the original recipe calls for arugula, but as it can be expensive and hard to find at this time of year, we used spinach instead.

Penne with Beef and Arugula
Recipe adapted from Everyday Pasta
Pictures by Caroline

2 New York strip steaks, about 8 ounces each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups chopped spinach or arugula

1. Rub the steak with salt and pepper, herbes de Provence, and the minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook the steaks for about 5 minutes per side, or until outside is browned and inside is still pink (or red, if you prefer; remember that the steak will keep cooking after you take it off the heat, so pull it off just before you think it's actually done). Let cool about 5 minutes, then slice the steaks into thin pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water (this is very important!).
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, basil, pasley, and 3/4 cup olive oil.
4. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with half the vinegar mixture and the drained pasta water. Add meat and spinach (or arugula). Add more dressing, salt and pepper, as desired.