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My creamy steak pasta features juicy steak, a flavorful parmesan cream sauce, and our secret ingredient: cowboy butter. We use an easy dry brine that will make this taste like it came from your favorite expensive steakhouse.

a skillet of fettucine in a cream sauce topped with pan seared ribeye steak topped with cowboy butter.

We love cooking pasta for date night in. Some of our favorites are chicken rasta pasta, Olive Garden Chicken pasta, and cajun chicken pasta. My fiancé's new favorite is this creamy steak pasta. It is easy to make and the steak comes out perfectly juicy and tender every time. We also take it up a notch with flavorful cowboy butter. I suggest making a double batch of the butter as it disappears fast in our house on everything from garlic bread to grilled chicken to corn on the cob.

Why Our Recipe Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science

We Salt Our Steak In Advance: This draws water out of the steak that will mix with the salt. The steak then reabsorbs this. Not only does it season the meat from the inside out it also helps it stay moist and juicy.
We Flip Our Steak Every 30 Seconds: This help it cook fast and evenly. We find that flipping only causes the meat just under the surface to be gray and overcooked.
Fond + Cowboy Butter= Flavor: The flavorful fond gives the sauce a deep flavor while cowboy butter adds a pop of acid and spice.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

ingredients including Ribeye steak, heavy cream, pasta, parmesan cheese, garlic, butter, parsley, and salt.

Steak: Ribeye is our first choice because of its rich beefy flavor and plenty of fat. You can also use strip steak which is slightly leaner and less flavorful. Sirloin is a good budget friendly option but can be tougher.
Parmesan: Grate your own parmesan for the best flavorful. It will also melt more smoothly.
Butter: Use unsalted if you have it so you can control the final seasoning of the dish.
Mustard: Don't substitute yellow mustard for the Dijon as it doesn't have the same emulsifying power.
Lemon: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
Heavy Cream: You can also use half and half but the sauce will be thinner and more prone to breaking.
Pasta: We like fettucine, linguine, or pappardelle with cream sauce. You can also use a smaller shape like penne or cavatappi if desired.

a 4 image collage showing how to sear the steak, cook the pasta, make a cowboy butter cream sauce, and toss the pasta with the sauce.

Troubleshooting and Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

Steak Is Tough and Chewy: Don't overcook it, we like medium rare which is around 130 degrees. I usually pull it at 125 as the temperature will keep rising as it rests. Also, always be sure to slice it against the grain to shorten the muscle fibers.
Steak Doesn't Form a Seared Crust: Make sure your pan is screaming hot and your oil is just starting to smoke. Also, be sure to pat it dry as moisture is the enemy of browning.
Pasta Is Mushy: Cook until just al dente. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
Don't Skip Resting: This allows the juices to redistribute towards the center of the meat so they end up in your mouth not on the plate.