Like many things I cook, there was no recipe for this one. Coming home from work one Friday night, I wanted to make something elegant, but simple. A quick walk around Bruno’s and an idea popped into my head.
Shopping List
1 box of penne noodles
500 ml carton of whipping cream
Grated Parmesan – you can use fresh grated if you have time, or store bought grated if not.
Garlic – again, you can cut up a few fresh cloves or use a spoonful from the jar in the fridge to save time.
Salt & Pepper
Asparagus – chopped into 1″ pieces, I use about 10-12 stalks for 2 people
2 beef tenderloin steaks – seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch asparagus pieces. I find just under 3 minutes gives the best texture. Pour asparagus into a collander to drain and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking more. Leave them in the collander for later.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for your pasta.
Pour a bit of olive oil into a large skillet or sauce pan and brown garlic slightly to begin.
While garlic is heating, slink outside and throw the beef on the already hot BBQ. Set heat to med-low and close the lid.
Add pasta to the pot and set timer to the time specified on the package. The last pasta we used said 9 minutes, which was perfect. If you are using a fresh pasta, it will be much less time, so be sure to look.
Add about half of the cream to the garlic, along with a few tablespoons of parm. Keep stirring, while increasing the heat. You want it nearly boiling, but be careful not to let it boil over. As it thickens, add more cream and cheese in stages. You may also want to add some salt and pepper for flavour. When the alfredo sauce has the taste and creaminess you want, turn the heat off.
Sometime during the creamy goodness, run out and flip the steaks. You want them cooked to no more than medium rare.
Take the pasta pot and dump the whole thing in on top of the asparagus. This heats the asparagus up again, without cooking them. Now dump the whole thing back in the pot.
Run out and bring in the steaks. You want them to rest for a few minutes before you cut them.
Turn the heat back on under the Alfredo Sauce for a minute or so and stir in a bit more cream. This will freshen up the sauce a bit after it has been sitting. Pour the sauce in the pot with the penne and asparagus. Dish this out into a nice deep pasta bowl.
Slice the beef thinly and arrange it on top of your pasta.
You now have an elegant, yummy meal that took under half an hour to make. Perfect for a Friday evening.
We enjoyed a bottle of Maie’s Merlot from Doghouse Wines and it was loverly!
This is one we’ll definitely have to try. I love recipes that are “thrown together” through inspiration — some of our favourites have been discovered this way!
We love alfredo around here, and this would add a interesting little change-up to the usual. We don’t have a BBQ, but I’m sure the indoor grill will do fine in a pinch.