Inspired by its classic sandwich counterpart, my luxurious Philly cheesesteak pasta features tender pasta, beef, peppers, mushrooms, and onions smothered in a creamy Provolone sauce. All of your favorite flavors of the classic sandwich in one creamy pasta dish!
This easy recipe might just be your new favorite weeknight dinner for feeding the whole family! One bite and you will see why this hearty meal might just be the best comfort food around.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cavatappi pasta - You can also substitute another type of short pasta such as penne pasta or rigatoni.
- Vegetable oil - Olive oil or canola oil are my personal favorites for sauteeing on the stove top.
- Sirloin steak - I use sliced sirloin because it is reasonably priced, lean yet tender. However, if you have leftover steak in the refrigerator, any steak will work well.
- Fresh mushrooms - Button mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms both work well.
- Green bell peppers
- Yellow onion - A sweet onion works very well too.
- Fresh garlic cloves - You can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Kosher salt - Table salt is a great option too, just use a little less.
- Fresh ground black pepper
Provolone Sauce
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Beef broth - Beef stock is an equally good substitute. You can use chicken broth/stock too, but it isn't ideal.
- Worcestershire sauce - This adds depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Shredded provolone cheese - Provolone is probably served on more cheesesteaks than the more traditionally authentic cheese wiz, for a good reason. It tastes better. Plus, let's be honest, no one wants to eat a pasta dish with a cheese whiz sauce. In a pinch, you can substitute mozzarella cheese instead. Otherwise, your grocery store will likely sell a Provolone-Mozzarella blend that will also work perfectly fine in this cheesy pasta dish.
How to make it
To begin making this easy Philly cheesesteak pasta recipe boil your pasta in a large pot of salted under until al dente, following the package instructions. Then set the cooked pasta aside (toss it in oil to prevent sticking if it gets done too early).
While the pasta boils, add your vegetable oil to a saute pan set over medium heat on the stovetop, then add your onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Saute the vegetables until almost tender, stirring with a wooden spoon as needed. Then add your minced garlic and cook for two additional minutes. Remove the vegetable mixture and set it aside.
Adding additional oil if needed, place the sliced steak in your skillet along with salt and black pepper. Sear the meat over medium-high heat until it is cooked through and slightly charred. Then remove the steak from the skillet.
Tip: Freeze the beef for 30 minutes to firm it up slightly, and it will cut into thin slices more easily.
Letting the pan cool slightly, prepare your sauce by melting the butter over low heat, then sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Cook the butter mixture for 3-5 minutes while continuing to whisk, until it turns a nutty brown.
Next, the liquids can be added to the sauce. Slowly pour in milk, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce a few splashes at a time, and whisk into the flour mixture. Then do the same with the shredded cheese, and continue to whisk until all the cheese has melted into the creamy sauce.
Place your boiled noodles in a large serving bowl along with the steak and sauteed vegetables. Pour in the Provolone sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately with a simple side salad to make this a complete meal.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Leftover Philly cheese steak pasta should be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to one week. Unfortunately, since this recipe utilizes a cheese sauce, it will not reheat well in the microwave. Cheese sauces tender to break apart when reheated because the cheese heats quicker than the rest of the sauce and will separate from the oil. However, despite losing its creaminess, it will still taste great reheated.
Note: This is also why homemade mac and cheese typically reheats poorly, and why I specifically designed a macaroni and cheese recipe that doesn't separate when reheated (the secret is using cream cheese as a binder).
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Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cavatappi pasta (penne or rigatoni are fine substitutes)
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil (or as needed)
- 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak (thinly sliced)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 medium green bell pepper (sliced)
- 1 medium yellow onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (minced)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Provolone Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cup shredded provolone cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking add cooking oil to large skillet or saute pan and set over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are cooked through. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Onions and peppers should be slightly tender but still retain some firmness.
- Remove vegetables from the skillet, add additional cooking oil as needed, then add the sliced beef, salt, and black pepper. Sear over medium high heat until the meat is no longer pink.
- Remove beef from the skillet, and shut off heat to let pan cool slightly. Once the pan is cool enough not to scorch butter, prepare the sauce by melting butter in the skillet over low heat and sprinkle in flour to form a roux. Stir continually to prevent burning and cook the roux for 3-5 minutes, or until beginning to brown. (you want to cook it long enough to cook out the raw flour taste)
- Slowly incorporate milk, beef broth, and Worcestershire a little bit at a time, stirring the sauce to fully incorporate before more liquid is added to prevent lumps.
- Add shredded cheese in batches, stirring to melt into the sauce.
- Place noodles in a large bowl with beef and vegetables and pour sauce over. Mix to combine everything and serve.
Nutritional Information
This recipe was originally published on July 3, 2019, here on FoxValleyFoodie.com.
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