Steak Alfredo

While chicken is often the default addition to pasta, steak Alfredo goes bigger. This indulgent dinner is the kind of meal that makes you roll your eyes in delight at the first bite. Juicy, seared steak laid over a nest of buttery, garlicky fettuccine Alfredo feels both luxe and comforting—like something straight off a restaurant menu, but made right in your own kitchen. Our homemade Alfredo sauce takes a cue from our fettuccine Alfredo recipe, but adds cream cheese for a sauce that is rich and velvety, coating every strand of pasta. Meanwhile, the steak adds the perfect savory bite.

Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner, hosting a dinner party or just rewarding yourself for surviving Monday, this steak Alfredo recipe brings the kind of satisfaction that can only come from two of life’s greatest pleasures: pasta and perfectly cooked beef.

Ingredients for Steak Alfredo

• Fettuccine: This ribbon pasta is the classic pasta shape to eat with Alfredo sauce. Its wide surface area allows the rich, creamy sauce to cling to every strand. Cooking the fettuccine to al dente ensures the perfect balance of tenderness and chew.
• Steak: New York strip and ribeye are cuts of beef that both work wonderfully for this recipe. These cuts have excellent marbling, which means they stay juicy and flavorful when seared at high heat. Choose 1-inch-thick steaks for the best texture.
• Salt: Salt plays several important roles in this dish. It seasons the steak, enhances the flavor of the pasta water and helps create that golden brown crust during searing. Using kosher salt is the key to a simple rub.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic infuses the Alfredo sauce with a deep, savory aroma. It’s the secret to making your kitchen smell like an Italian restaurant, and it adds flavor complexity that’s essential to balancing the cream and cheese.
• Butter: Real butter gives the Alfredo sauce its signature silky, rich base. When melted with garlic, it creates a nutty, aromatic foundation that elevates the entire dish.
• Cream cheese: Cubed cream cheese stabilizes the sauce, keeping it smooth and preventing it from separating. It’s an easy trick that makes your Alfredo nearly foolproof and seriously lush.
• Whole milk: Whole milk provides creamy richness while keeping the sauce light enough to be pourable. If you prefer a thicker sauce, use half-and-half cream.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly shredded Parmesan is essential for that salty, nutty finish. It melts directly into the sauce, giving it both body and depth of flavor. Packaged grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting, so grate your own cheese if possible.
• Pepper: A few grinds of black pepper at the end tie everything together with just the right amount of kick. The pepper cuts through the sauce’s richness and adds a touch of warmth to every bite.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions.

Editor’s Tip: Always salt your pasta water generously; it should taste like the sea. It’s the easiest way to add flavor before your Alfredo sauce even hits the noodles.

Step 2: Season and rest the steak

Remove your steaks from the refrigerator and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let them stand for about 10 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Salting the steak right before cooking them is a pro move. It will season the meat without pulling out too much moisture, which can affect how well the steak sears in the pan.

Step 3: Sear the steak

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for four to five minutes until it’s smoking hot. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in the pan, pat the steaks dry, and place them in the skillet. Sear them for two to three minutes per side until they release easily, then flip them. Keep flipping and moving the steaks until they reache your desired doneness (135°F for medium-rare, 140° for medium, or 145° for medium-well). Remove the steaks from the pan and keep them warm.

Editor’s Tip: A well-heated pan is essential. If you put your steaks in too early, they’ll end up steaming instead of searing, and we’re not here for soggy steak energy.

Step 4: Make the Alfredo sauce

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic.

Cook just until the garlic is fragrant, then stir in the cream cheese, milk and Parmesan. Cook and stir until the cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth.

Editor’s Tip: If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of that reserved pasta water until it coats the spoon like a glossy ribbon.

Step 5: Combine and serve

Drain the fettuccine, then toss it with the cheese mixture until it’s coated. Slice the steak and serve it over the Alfredo fettuccine. If desired, top the dishes with additional pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Steak Alfredo Variations

• Make room for mushrooms: Add garlic mushrooms to the sauce to give the dish an earthy, umami twist.
• Get your greens: Stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach right before tossing the pasta. It’ll wilt perfectly in the hot sauce.
• Try some surf with your turf: Combine the steak with a shrimp Alfredo for a luxurious upgrade worthy of a very special occasion.

How to Store Steak Alfredo

Store leftover steak Alfredo in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken as it cools, but it’ll loosen right up when reheated. Just make sure to store the steak and pasta separately if you can; this helps preserve the texture of both.

How long does steak Alfredo last?

Steak Alfredo lasts three to four days in the refrigerator when stored properly. Keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate it promptly after cooling it.

How should you reheat steak Alfredo?

To reheat steak Alfredo, gently warm the pasta in a skillet over low heat with a splash of milk or cream to restore its luscious texture. Heat the steak slices separately to avoid overcooking them, then combine the pasta and steak just before serving them.

Steak Alfredo Tips

Can you make this with a different type of pasta?

Yes! While fettuccine is traditional, you can use a variety of pasta shapes, such as linguine, tagliatelle or even penne. Shorter pasta shapes hold up well if you’re meal prepping or packing leftovers for lunch.

What can you serve with steak Alfredo?

Steak Alfredo is rich and satisfying on its own, but garlic knots and a crisp California salad are classic pairings. And if you’re genuinely going big, why not finish it off with a tiramisu and an espresso martini?