Ingredients:

  • 450g sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 28g unsalted butter
  • 9g garlic, minced
  • 3g salt
  • 1g cracked black pepper
  • 15ml olive oil
  • 340g medium pasta shells
  • 28g unsalted butter
  • 9g garlic, minced
  • 240ml heavy cream
  • 75g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1g salt
  • 8g fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Prep the Beef: Pat the steak cubes completely dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  2. High Heat: Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to shimmer.
  3. The Brown: Add steak bites in a single layer. Let them sizzle undisturbed for 2 minutes until a mahogany-colored crust forms.
  4. The Butter Finish: Toss in 28g of butter and minced garlic. Stir for 1-2 more minutes until the butter is foamy and the garlic smells fragrant. Remove steak from the pan and set aside on a plate.
  5. Boil: Cook pasta shells in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 240ml of pasta water before draining.
  6. The Base: In the same skillet used for the steak, melt 28g of butter over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic until softened.
  7. The Cream: Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and thickens to a coat-the-back-of-the-spoon consistency.
  8. Combine: Toss the cooked shells into the creamy garlic steak pasta shells sauce.
  9. Adjust: If the sauce is too thick, stir in the reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time.
  10. Integrate: Fold the garlic butter steak bites back into the pasta.
  11. Garnish: Sprinkle with chopped parsley for a pop of color.