Saturday, July 30, 2011

Thinly Sliced Beef Tenderloin Atop A Bed Of Pasta Primavera.... Perfect Simplicity

Last week I realized that I hadn't made Pasta Primavera in quite some time, so I got with it. If you're trying to get in the recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and/or veggies, this is your vehicle to success. Make enough and you have at least one more night's dinner and several lunches as well. It's a total *win win* deal.


I had leftover beef tenderloin as well as leftover buffalo steaks, so I simply used them instead of having to cook fresh steaks. I also wanted them cold and sliced as thinly as possible. Hello.


Normally, I would make dressing from scratch but we've been having pipes replaced in the midst of our current kitchen plumbing problems. Oy me! So, I simply used a store-bought Balsamic Vinaigrette, which substituted quite well under the circumstances. Here's how I worked it:


Thinly Sliced Beef Tenderloin Atop A Bed Of Pasta Primavera:

Ingredients:


2 cups Rotini pasta, plain & cooked al dente
2 cups Rotini pasta, mixed & cooked al dente
fresh broccoli, steamed to personal preference

fresh asparagus, steamed to personal preference (however I used leftover sauteed asparagus), chopped
1/2 fresh green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1-1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes, chopped (or the equivalent with medium tomatoes)

1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion, sliced and chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 - 4 ounce container of Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions, al dente. Set aside to cool.

2. Chop all veggies or use a food processor to hurry it along. Add to cooled pasta

3. Mix or toss well.

4. Add Blue Cheese. Toss again.

5. Add dressing, toss again, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours.

6. Slice beef tenderloin as thinly as possible.

7. Place pasta pleasingly on the plate then add the sliced beef as much like an accordion as possible.

8. Add additional dressing to the top of the beef.


9. ENJOY!