Mmm... pesto steak tortellini. This recipe is sure to make the whole family happy at the dinner table! And it can be made vegetarian!
Fresh pasta is my kryptonite. I love it, can't get enough of it, and filled pastas are most definitely my weakness.
If you've watched any of my Instagram stories, you know I do a lot of #FastLunch videos. These are short clips of tasty meals I make for lunch since I work from home. The meals are fresh, and take less than 30 minutes to make. Many of the meals can be made for dinners too!
Recently, I did a series of Fast Lunch videos featuring one of my favorite not-so-secret fast, wholesome meal weapons: Buitoni pastas and sauces.
Steak Pesto Tortellini Ingredients
For this recipe, I used Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini and Buitoni Pesto with Basil.
Here's what they look like in their packaging so you know what to look for in your grocery store:
Simple, fresh ingredients that, when combined, create a delicious, fast, wholesome meal the whole family can enjoy!
Fast and Fabulous Family Dinner
I'm not going to hold back: I could eat this entire pesto steak recipe all on my own. It's SO yummy and satisfying, and once I start, it's hard to stop eating. But, I do have three other mouths to feed in this house, so this recipe does make enough to share with the whole family.
Because you use the same skillet to cook the steak and to cook the sauce, the creamy pesto soaks up the extra juicy steak flavor.
Add a handful of fresh Roma tomatoes, and it's a colorful, bright, fresh dinner that can be on the table in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights when we're shuttling between work and school, sports and friends' houses.
Easy Vegetarian Option
For my vegetarian friends out there, this dish is SO easy to make: simply leave out the steak.
Voila! A fresh, delicious, satisfying vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
- 1 16- oz package of Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz. rib eye steak
- Steak seasoning packet your favorite, or try a blend of salt and pepper + cayenne, cumin, garlic, rosemary
- 1 8- oz package of Buitoni Pesto Sauce
- ¼ cup heavy cream can also use regular milk or Almond Milk
- 1 cup sliced roma tomatoes
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and cook Buitoni pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season steak with your favorite steak seasoning, and then cook steak to your preferred level of doneness. I like my steak medium-rare, and an 8-ounce rib eye that's about 1.5" thick usually cooks in about 5-6 minutes on each side.
- Lower the heat to medium, then remove steak from the skillet and let cool at room temperature on a plate.
- To the same skillet, add pesto sauce and stir to help loosen the steak bits from the bottom of the pan. After about a minute, slowly add the heavy cream or milk. Stir to blend and heat for another minute.
- Add sliced tomatoes, stir and cook the sauce for approximately 2-3 more minutes, until tomatoes have slightly softened.
- Add the cooked pasta plus ¼ cup of starchy hot pasta water into the skillet and stir tortellini so that it is well coated with the creamy pesto sauce.
- Slice the steak into bite-size pieces and stir into the pasta and sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
I'm curious: what makes your weeknights especially hectic? For us, it's work, our social schedules, and our kids' schedules. What about you?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says
I've always made tortellini with chicken and never thought of doing steak! I just love how simple yet elegant this recipe is. This is something our family would truly love. Pinning to make this later this week, yum!
Mark, CompassandFork says
I love the colors in this dish!. Look at all of those tomatoes, pesto, steak and tortellini. Just a riot of color. I love how quick this is to cook for busy people, a great week night meal.
Byron Thomas says
I'm also such a huge fan of pesto, and truth be told, I can pair it with almost any pasta and be very happy with it. I guess if I were preparing this dish for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, I could leave the steak on the side and not toss it with the pasta, pesto, and tomatoes at all. I'm certainly going to seek out Buitoni pasta and sauces the next time I go grocery shopping.
Hanady | Recipe Nomad says
Oh this looks so perfect for a quick weeknight dinner! Love the flavors you've developed and the addition of the steak for protein!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
I'm all about pesto! It's good on so many things. Loving the look of this vegetarian version with the Roma tomatoes! Yumm..
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I love pesto! I remember when Buitoni came out with their pesto sauce (yes, I'm old), and my mom would buy it all the time. It's still a classic!
Cathy M says
Mmm, this looks tasty! Definitely saving to Pinterest to try it myself!
Rachel Lloyd says
I couldn't agree more about the fresh pasta. A friend of mine purchased a pasta maker and its so easy- I'm thinking of investing! This dish is light and fresh too perfect for keeping those healthy resolutions! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try.
Lindsay says
I love fresh pasta so much, it's kind of a danger to my health. If you are up in the Portland area try Grassa. They have amazing pastas. Thanks for this great recipe!
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says
That looks soooo good. It is 8 in the morning here, but I still want that right now!
Pech says
Ooo I like this, pesto with meat juices make a sauce - sounds like a perfect sauce for the steak AND the pasta!
Rachel says
This looks SO good! I love pesto but usually eat it with chicken. I need to try with steak!
Leah says
This looks like such a delicious meal! I love the idea of steak in there, so delicious!
Erin (Platings and Pairings) says
This sounds amazing - I love how decadent it is with the steak! I love Buitoni products too - Especially that asparagus ravioli. I may or may not have eaten an entire package by myself!
Rachel says
This recipe looks amazing! I love pesto.