I made this on a night when plain steak felt a little lazy, and this dinner clearly had bigger plans.
The spicy mushroom sauce is rich, messy, and totally worth it, while the pear salad pretends to keep things classy.
I first threw it together for a stay-in dinner, and it tasted way more impressive than my effort level deserved.
Steak with Spicy Mushroom Marinara and Pear Arugula Salad
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Food processor
- Serving plates
Ingredients
- 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms roughly chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion roughly chopped
- 2 steaks about 10 to 12 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces thick-cut bacon chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup tomato basil pasta sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 4 cups arugula
- 2 Bartlett pears cored and thinly sliced
- 2 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Chop the Vegetables: Add the baby portabella mushrooms and yellow onion to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
- Season the Steaks: Pat the steaks dry and season both sides with the kosher salt.
- Sear the Steaks: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add the steaks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer if desired. Transfer the steaks to a plate and let them rest.
- Cook the Bacon: Add the chopped bacon to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until browned and crisp.
- Cook the Mushroom Mixture: Stir the chopped mushroom and onion mixture into the skillet with the bacon. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Add the Seasoning: Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Deglaze the Pan: Pour in the chicken broth and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 1 minute.
- Simmer the Sauce: Add the tomato basil pasta sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Finish the Sauce: Stir in the chopped Italian parsley and keep the sauce warm over low heat.
- Build the Salad: Place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the sliced pears, blue cheese, and walnuts.
- Dress the Salad: Drizzle the apple vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat.
- Slice the Steak: Slice the rested steaks against the grain into even pieces.
- Plate and Serve: Arrange the sliced steak on serving plates and spoon the spicy mushroom marinara over the top. Add the pear arugula salad on the side and finish with the shaved Parmesan cheese.
Video Recipe
Tips, Tricks, and Lazy Genius Swaps for Steak with Spicy Mushroom Marinara and Pear Arugula Salad
These are the little moves that keep dinner delicious and your stress level dramatically lower. Because the goal is “looks impressive,” not “collapsed on the kitchen floor.”
Pick a steak that can handle the spotlight
I’ve made this with ribeye, sirloin, and strip steak, and honestly, they all do the job if you cook them right. A thicker steak is a lot more forgiving, which is helpful if you’re also trying to make salad and sauce without turning your kitchen into a panic room.
Don’t babysit the mushrooms in the food processor
Pulse them just until finely chopped, then stop before you accidentally make mushroom paste. Once it looks like damp gravel, you’re done. That texture gives the sauce some body instead of turning it into a weird brown puree nobody wants to explain.
Bacon makes everything better, which is deeply annoying but true
If you want the sauce to taste richer with almost no effort, keep the bacon. If you need to skip it, use a little extra oil and a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it. Will it be exactly the same? No. Will it still be good? Also yes.
Use store-bought sauce and act natural
A decent jar of tomato basil pasta sauce works perfectly here, and I fully support that level of efficiency. This is not the night to prove you can simmer tomatoes for four hours from scratch. Save that energy for literally anything else.
Red pepper flakes are not a personality test
If you like heat, add a little more. If you don’t, back it off and enjoy your dinner in peace without pretending your mouth isn’t on fire. You are cooking for yourself, not auditioning for a hot sauce documentary.
Let the steak rest, even though waiting is rude
I know. You cooked it, you want to slice it, and patience feels fake. But if you cut it too soon, all the juices run out and your cutting board gets the best part of dinner. Resting the steak for even 5 to 10 minutes makes you look way more competent than you feel.
Pears can be swapped if yours are acting suspicious
If your pears are rock hard or weirdly grainy, use thinly sliced apple instead. I’ve done it plenty of times, and it still gives that sweet crunch against the peppery arugula. This salad is flexible, not precious.
Blue cheese is optional if you’re not in the mood for drama
Blue cheese is great here, but goat cheese or feta also work if you want something a little less intense. Some people hear “blue cheese” and immediately file a complaint, so go with what you actually like.
Walnuts are great, but not mandatory royalty
Pecans work beautifully, and sliced almonds are fine too if that’s what’s already open in your pantry. I’ve even skipped the nuts entirely when I forgot them, and dinner somehow survived. Use what you have before buying one more half-used bag of “specialty” nuts.
Salad dressing is where shortcuts earn their paycheck
A bottled apple vinaigrette is easy and totally fair game. If you don’t have it, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a little Dijon, and a tiny drizzle of honey. Homemade dressing sounds fancy, but it’s really just aggressive stirring in a bowl.
Parmesan belongs where you want it
If you like the shaved Parmesan on the salad, keep it there. If you’d rather scatter it over the hot sauce and steak, that works too. There are no cheese police here, just your dinner and your better judgment.
Make-ahead moves for people who hate scrambling at 6 p.m.
You can chop the mushrooms and onion, prep the bacon, slice the pears, and crumble the cheese earlier in the day. I would wait to dress the salad until the last minute, though, unless soggy greens are somehow your thing. A little prep ahead makes you feel wildly organized, even if the rest of your life says otherwise.
Leftovers are better than they have any right to be
The steak and sauce keep well in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat nicely in a skillet over low heat. I usually keep the salad parts separate so the arugula doesn’t wilt into sadness. Warm leftover steak with that mushroom sauce is exactly the kind of lunch that makes other lunches feel inadequate.
