Steak & Farfalle Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

While most creamy sauces are so laden with butter and oil that you can actually see the fat glistening off the pasta, we've chosen to keep it light with a tomato-based sauce smoothed with low-fat sour cream. Top that off with lean steak and lesser-known whole-wheat farfalle pasta and you've got yourself a deliciously clean dinner sure to please any pasta lover in your family.

Photo: Gibson & Smith

By Jeanette Hurt

Serves: 8
Hands-on time: 30 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb lean eye round steak, cubed
• 16 oz whole-wheat farfalle pasta
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 28-oz jar or can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 8 oz low-fat sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare marinade: In a bowl, whisk together 3 cloves garlic, vinegar, Dijon, cinnamon and pepper. Pour marinade over steak cubes in another container, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You can also leave steak to marinate overnight.)
2. Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Drain steak cubes and discard marinade. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, mist with cooking spray and saute steak until browned on each side, about 4 minutes total. Remove steak from pan and set aside.
4. Mist same pan with cooking spray again, add onion and remaining 2 cloves garlic and saute until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. Add seasoning, basil and sour cream and combine. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then mix in reserved steak and cook for 2 more minutes, until meat and sauce are completely warmed.
5. Serve 1 cup farfalle with 3/4 cup steak sauce. Garnish with an additional sprinkling of Italian seasoning, if desired.

Nutrients per serving of steak & farfalle pasta: Calories: 380, Total Fat: 7 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Carbs: 52 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 9 g, Protein: 28 g, Sodium: 350 mg, Cholesterol: 45 mg

Nutritional Bonus: In addition to its high protein profile, beef is also chock-full of minerals, such as zinc, iron and phosphorus. Zinc bolsters your immune system, iron aids your blood’s ability to deliver oxygen to cells (keeping your energy up) and phosphorus helps keep your bones and teeth strong.

FULL PRICE
$9.34

COST PER SERVING
$1.1
7