Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Thinly sliced sirloin seared hard, sautéed bell peppers and onions, and a provolone cream sauce built from the fond — tossed with rigatoni. All the flavors of a Philly cheesesteak, none of the bread, twenty minutes from cold pan to the table.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 1 lb sirloin steak sliced paper thin against the grain — partially freeze 20 minutes for easier slicing
Produce
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
Dairy
- 6 slices provolone cheese roughly torn
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
- 0.5 cup beef broth low sodium
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings & Spices
- 0.75 tsp kosher salt divided
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.25 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until just al dente — pull it one minute early. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining. Set aside.
- While pasta cooks, season the thinly sliced steak with half the salt, the black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the steak in a single layer — work in batches. Sear without touching for 60 seconds until browned, flip, and cook another 30 seconds. The steak should be just cooked through with color on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the butter to the same pan — do not wipe it out. Once melted, add the sliced onion and bell pepper with the remaining salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred at the edges. Add the garlic and cook another 60 seconds.
- Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pan — that fond is the flavor base for the entire sauce. Let it reduce for 1 minute. Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the torn provolone slices and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce. Add the drained rigatoni and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time. Return the seared steak to the pan and fold gently to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Thinly sliced steak is the whole differentiator here — every competing recipe uses ground beef, which cooks faster but tastes nothing like a Philly cheesesteak. The trick to slicing sirloin paper-thin at home: put it in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing. Partially frozen beef firms up enough to slice significantly thinner than room temperature beef. Thin strips sear in 60 seconds and stay tender in the sauce.
Provolone is non-negotiable. It's what makes this taste like a Philly cheesesteak and not just steak pasta. Deli-sliced provolone melts smoothly into the cream sauce and adds a mild, slightly sharp flavor that complements the beef. Torn into rough pieces rather than diced so it melts more evenly. Do not substitute mozzarella — the flavor profile changes completely.
Worcestershire sauce is doing flavor work in the broth reduction. It adds an umami depth and slight sweetness that is specifically what makes a cheesesteak taste like a cheesesteak. Don't skip it.
Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of beef broth. The cream sauce will have thickened overnight — the broth loosens it back up without diluting the flavor.
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