Copycat Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo Recipe
Were you bummed when Olive Garden dc'd their steak gorgonzola? We feel you. The Alfredo and tangy blue cheese were a perfect contrast to the seasoned steak. Well, cheer up buttercup! We have a look-a-like recipe that will give you the creamy delight you've been missing.
Registered dietician and recipe developer Kristen Carli masterminded this delicious remake, and we're glad to share it with you. Although the dish might look complex, it's an easy combo of layered steps. Our version has just over 10 ingredients. This is quite safe for beginners, and perfect for entertaining guests. Or you can surprise the family with this bold entrée everyone will love.
We've prepared a table for two using this method. It yields enough for a family of four, or two people with leftovers to enjoy again. The ingredients can certainly be doubled, if need be. Well let's move past the small talk and get cooking!
Gather your ingredients
This recipe requires a pound of steak. We used the tender sirloin cut pictured here. To equally divide the steak per serving, you may thinly slice the steaks or pick up smaller, medallion-sized steaks instead.
Any brand of balsamic vinegar will suffice. And for the Alfredo sauce base, a 16-ounce package (about one pound) of fettucine pasta, a stick of unsalted butter, and heavy whipping cream are a must.
Additionally, you'll want to have fresh spinach on hand, some grated parmesan, a bit of salt, black pepper, half a four-ounce container of gorgonzola cheese crumbles, and a strong balsamic glaze, which you can also just make yourself by reducing balsamic vinegar in a pot until it's thick.
Marinate your steaks
You'll want to start your prep a bit more than an hour ahead of dinner time.
For this first step, douse the steak medallions with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and seal them in a leak-proof, resealable plastic bag. Let the meat marinate in the vinegar for an hour. During this time, the steak will absorb the savory balsamic flavor.
Before the steaks finish marinating, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the fettuccine pasta and cook it according to the package's directions.
Make the Alfredo sauce base
Now we'll create the creamy Alfredo sauce everyone loves. On a side note, this step can be duplicated for any dish you want to make a homemade Alfredo sauce for.
Start by setting a large pan on the stove over medium heat. Place a stick of unsalted butter (that's half a cup) along with 2 cups of heavy whipping cream into the well-heated skillet. Keep this combination over the fire until the butter melts completely. Stir the ingredients to fuse them together.
Add the spinach and parmesan
This might be one of the easiest parts of the recipe, aside from serving it! But see how each step is pretty simple — so easy, maybe the kids could make dinner? Well, maybe not that easy.
For this portion we're simply adding a cup and a half of spinach accompanied by a full cup of grated parmesan cheese into the Alfredo base. Keep your pan over medium heat until the spinach cooks down and the cheese is well incorporated. Now add the salt and pepper.
Pour in the cooked and drained pasta
Now we're onto something! The Italian juices are flowing. Steaks should be marinating, and all is well in the kitchen.
Did you remember to turn off the pot of pasta from the heat? That's perfect. We're right on time to drain the water from the fettucine, and pour it into the Alfredo — otherwise known as the world's greatest marriage. You can toss, stir, or fold the noodles into your homemade sauce, until they are fully mingled together.
Now that the rich fettucine Alfredo is finished, we can take care of the steak.
Sear the steaks
This here is your final step before serving! The searing process for this precious protein should take just 10 minutes. Go ahead and bring another skillet to the stove, and set it over medium heat. Carefully remove your marinated steak medallions from the bag and place them in the skillet. You'll want to give each side a good searing for about three minutes each.
When both sides of the meat have a deep brown hue, they're ready to serve.
Serve this dish with the gorgonzola crumbles and balsamic glaze
Fantastic! Now that the family or your guests are intrigued that you made Alfredo from scratch, you're ready to serve!
As Carli told Mashed, the best way to do this is to place each serving of the fettucine Alfredo in a large, shallow bowl, then place one piece of seared steak atop the pasta, garnish with a quarter of the gorgonzola cheese crumbles, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze. And wa la!
When it comes to this savory steak gorgonzola Alfredo recipe, Karli told Mashed, "This makes a great dish for a family meal. Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days." As a registered dietician, she said, "The dish is fairly complete on its own nutritionally, but it would be great to serve with a side of veggies or a salad."
Surely, you'll be the talk of the table, as your guests enjoy this amazing homemade dish. Their taste buds will be thrilled, and you'll leave them saying "Olive Garden who?"
- 1 pound steak medallions
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 (16 ounce) package fettucine
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups spinach
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup balsamic glaze
- Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag with the balsamic vinegar. Zip it closed and allow the steak to marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook it according to the package directions.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the cream and butter. Allow the butter to melt, then stir to combine.
- Add the spinach and parmesan cheese and continue to cook over medium heat until the spinach wilts, stirring occasionally.
- Add the salt and pepper.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the drained pasta to the sauce. Stir it to combine.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the marinated steak. Cook the steak for 3 minutes on each side.
- Divide the pasta between large bowls and top each bowl with one piece of steak, a quarter of the gorgonzola crumbles, and a tablespoon of balsamic glaze.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving | 1,510 |
Total Fat | 100.4 g |
Saturated Fat | 58.6 g |
Trans Fat | 2.0 g |
Cholesterol | 330.3 mg |
Total Carbohydrates | 93.5 g |
Dietary Fiber | 3.9 g |
Total Sugars | 9.8 g |
Sodium | 1,062.5 mg |
Protein | 56.9 g |