Maple candied carrots, juicy bites of beef, and savory sundried tomatoes all make up this leftover steak pasta! A tasty way to use up leftovers from the fridge, this gluten-free steak pasta is thrown together in under thirty minutes to make for an easy, healthy dinner.
Sick and tired of adding steak to a plain old salad or sandwich? Give this leftover steak past a go instead. Packed with sweet and savory flavors this steak pasta is easy to make and deliciously versatile. Skip the grocery store and use up what’s left in the fridge to whip up this dairy-free dinner recipe on busy nights.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I try to teach my clients how to put together simple meals to set them up for long-term success. This leftover steak pasta proves that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or complicated. This fried rice with shrimp and chicken is like that, too. In fact, the simpler you keep it, the better off you are.
So, master the basics of this dinner recipe and then use one it’s many variations to customize the meal again and gain.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: This pasta recipe is great for busy weeknights because it uses up leftover protein and comes together quickly.
Healthy: Packed with protein, immune-boosting vegetables like garlic and leeks, and naturally dairy and gluten-free.
Versatile: There are so many ways you can adjust the flavor of the pasta based on taste preferences or what you have in the fridge.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is a quick shot of the ingredients you need for the recipe. Know that sundried tomatoes in oil or dried can both work.
If you don’t have leeks on hand, know that green onion will work perfectly too (though leeks can be used to make this slow cooker Tuscan chicken and thus, should be a staple!).
For the steak, any steak you have cooked in the fridge will work. I make a lot of teriyaki steak bites, slow cooker steak, and air fryer steak bites and just use those. However, leftovers from a classic steak dinner work too. Just know that whatever seasoning is on the steak will come through in the pasta.
For the gluten-free noodles, try to use quinoa ones as they hold up best (so well in fact that’s what I use for both gluten-free chicken noodle soup and slow cooker chicken alfredo). Brown rice or chickpea noodles tend to turn to mush when mixed.
Expert Tips To Make It
Candy the carrots as much as you like. I personally leave a bit of liquid in the pan, but you can candy them fully until a bit charred on the outside if you like.
If you prefer a “saucier” type of dressing, add more water after you’ve candied the carrots and let it mix with the balsamic vinegar. Add an extra splash of oil will help here too and let everything stir together for a minute. When portioning, there will be more sauce at the bottom of the pan that you can pour over top of the pasta.
How To MakeLeftover Steak Pasta
Step 1: Candy the carrots with oil and maple syrup in a pan over medium to high heat.
Step 2: Add in the remaining vegetables and steak. Stir to mix.
Step 3: Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar and oil. Stir to combine the flavors.
Step 3: Once it is all mixed, portion it over gluten-free noodles and drizzle on more dressing.
How To Store It
If you have leftovers that are already mixed, let them cool fully and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or stovetop on low until heated through. You may need to add a splash of broth or water to give everything a bit more texture.
For leftovers that have not been portioned, drizzle some oil over the gluten-free noodles and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the steak pasta mixture in a container for up to 3 days.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the steak pasta as gluten-free noodles don’t always reheat well.
Flavor Variations
The best part about a leftover meal is that you can adjust it in so many ways! Below are a few favorite tweaks.
Vegetables: Carrots work perfectly but I’ve also been known to use peppers or broccoli too. If you have leftover candied Brussels sprouts that’s delicious as well and lets you skip a step.
Seasonings: I keep it pretty simple so that my kids enjoy it, but you could always add in some different herbs like parsley or basil or sprinkle on some red pepper flakes for extra spice.
Protein: This leftover pasta works just as well with cooked, Dutch oven chicken as it does steak!
FAQ’s
It truly doesn’t matter. Some steaks will have a tougher texture, but all steak leftovers will work for this pasta recipe.
When it comes to gluten-free noodles, quinoa ones are most similar to traditional noodles and what I recommend. Other noodles like chickpea, brown rice, or protein noodles tend to fall apart the second they’re mixed with something and don’t reheat well.
Other Easy, Dairy and Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes
- What’s for dinner tonight? 30 healthy recipes
- Chicken taco skillet
- 45 Dairy and gluten-free dinner ideas
- Dairy-free slow cooker recipe
Gluten-Free Leftover Steak Pasta
Video
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 inch Leek sliced
- ⅓ cup Sundried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Water
- 10 ounces Steak cooked and sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2.5 cups Gluten-free Pasta
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Avocado oil
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the avocado oil and garlic. Let the garlic sizzle a bit.
- Add in the carrots and cook with the garlic for 3-5 minutes before adding in the water and a pinch of salt to help them steam.
- Boil the water and cook pasta according to the package directions.
- Once most of the water has burned off and the carrots are starting to cook through, drizzle on the maple syrup. Cook for another 5 minutes, turning up the heat slightly if needed and scraping/stirring the carrots.
- Turn the heat to medium and add in the sundried tomatoes, steak, leeks, salt and pepper. Cooked for 5 more minutes stirring frequently.
- Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar and cook another two minutes.
- Portion the pasta into bowls and top it with the steak mixture. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and drizzle over top of each bowl.
- Enjoy.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Dinner doesn’t have to be chaotic—this eBook gives you 20+ protein-packed meals ready in 30 minutes or less (even when the day’s already gone sideways)
Shelby S says
We always make steak bites on the weekend for meal prep and this is my favorite way to use up any extra we have!