Creamy Spiced Steak Pasta Meal Prep

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Calories: 659kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Steak

15 ml Olive or Avocado Oil
900 g Topside or Skirt Steak Sliced
Salt & Pepper

Creamy Pasta

14 g Unsalted Butter
6 Garlic Cloves Grated
60 ml Beef Stock
350 ml Cream or Unsweetened Evaporated Milk
8 g Smoked Paprika
0.2 g Chilli Powder or Chilli Flakes
200 g Baby Spinach
500 g Penne or Rigatoni
Salt & Pepper

Garnish

Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
Parmigiano Reggiano Grated
Cracked Black Pepper

Method

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving roughly ½ cup of pasta water.
Slice the steak into thin strips and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Place a large, high-rimmed pan over high heat. Add the oil and sear the steak in batches for 2 minutes per side, or until golden (this will land around medium; sear an extra 30–60 seconds per side if you prefer it further done). Remove and set aside.
In the same pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze with the stock and cook for 1 minute. Add the evaporated milk or cream, smoked paprika, chilli powder or flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5–6 minutes, or until reduced.
Add the spinach and cooked pasta and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach has wilted and the pasta is coated. Add the steak and its resting juices, mix to combine, and remove from the heat.
Serve in 6 x 750ml meal prep containers. Garnish with parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Chef's Tips

Sear the steak in batches, not all at once — overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and steams the meat instead of browning it, which is where the flavour comes from.

Let the sauce actually reduce for the full 5–6 minutes before adding the pasta — it should coat the back of a spoon; if it's still thin, the pasta will taste watery instead of creamy once mixed through.

Rest the steak briefly after searing, and add it back with its juices at the very end — going in too early lets it keep cooking in the hot sauce and can push it past your target doneness.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 4 months, in an airtight container.

Cream-based sauces like this one can separate slightly in texture after freezing and thawing — it's still safe to eat, just stir well while reheating and add a small splash of milk, cream, or stock to bring the sauce back together if it looks split.

To reheat, warm in a pan over medium-low heat or microwave until hot throughout, stirring partway through. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Serving 400gCalories 659kcalCarbohydrates 63gProtein 47gFat 24gSaturated Fat 8gPolyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 44mgSodium 875mgPotassium 315mgFiber 4gSugar 6gVitamin A 1470IUVitamin C 14mgCalcium 93mgIron 3.2mg