Pappardelle with Peppered Beef, Basil, and Tomatoes

What makes this pasta dish so quick is the sauce—you barely cook it. Big cherry or campari tomatoes look pretty and are quick to prep—just slice in half.

1 lb (500 g) tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt
8 oz (250 g) organic beef eye of round pepper steak
1/2 lb (250 g or 1/2 of a 500 g package) pappardelle noodles, about 4 nests

Fill large saucepan with water and bring to boil. Meanwhile, stir tomatoes with basil, shallot, vinegar, olive oil, and salt; let stand while cooking pasta and beef.

Heat large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add splash of oil and swirl to coat pan. Add beef. Sear both sides and cook to medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package directions.

Place cooked beef on cutting board and let stand.

Turn tomato mixture into frying pan and stir just until basil starts to wilt, about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Drain pasta and stir into tomato mixture. Slice beef thinly and add to noodles. Finish with freshly ground pepper.

Tip: Tough cut
Eye of round is cut from the round steak section of a beef hindquarter. It’s tougher than typical steaks (tenderloin, strip loin, rib-eye) but has a full-bodied beefy flavour. It is best cooked to rare or medium-rare as anything beyond makes it chewier. When serving, slice as thin as you can.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 610 calories; 40 g protein; 19 g total fat (5 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 76 g carbohydrates; 15 g fibre; 1,287 mg sodium

source: "Ready, Set...Cook Healthy!", alive #324, October 2009