Sweet and Spicy Garlic Steak Pasta: Your New Favourite Weeknight Meal

Are you tired of the same old evening meals, longing for a dish that truly tantalises the taste buds without requiring hours of effort? We’ve all been there, peering into the fridge and waiting for culinary inspiration. Imagine if a meal filled with bold, layered flavours—the kind you’d expect to find in a top-notch restaurant—could be yours in less than half an hour. Well, it’s time to revitalise your weekly menu, as we’ve got the perfect solution: our incredible Sweet and Spicy Garlic Steak Pasta.

This is so much more than your average pasta dish. It’s a taste sensation where succulent, tender steak is enveloped in a glossy sauce that strikes the perfect harmony between sweet honey, savoury soy sauce, a pleasant warmth from chilli, and an aromatic kick from fresh garlic. As the ultimate fusion meal, it blends the comforting appeal of pasta with the zesty character of Asian-inspired cuisine. We designed this recipe to impress, offering supreme satisfaction with minimal effort. Right then, let’s head to the kitchen!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in a Flash: This recipe is the essence of a quick steak dinner. From searing the beef to dressing the pasta, the whole meal is on the table in under 30 minutes, which is ideal for hectic weeknights.
• A Delightful Flavour Journey: We have carefully balanced the sauce to touch on every taste sensation. It’s simultaneously sweet, savoury, spicy, and garlicky, delivering an experience you won’t soon forget.
• Achieve Professional Results at Home: Using straightforward techniques, we will guide you to searing the perfect steak and creating a rich, glistening sauce that will have everyone convinced you ordered a takeaway from a fancy establishment.
• Wonderfully Adaptable: You are the chef, so you have full control! You can easily adjust the spice level, toss in your preferred vegetables, or even swap the protein to make the dish uniquely yours.
• Made with Simple Ingredients: You won’t find any obscure items on this list. Everything you need is probably waiting in your cupboards or can be easily picked up from your local supermarket.

Ingredients for the Perfect Sweet and Spicy Garlic Steak Pasta

To assemble this delicious meal, we have organised the ingredients into three main groups: the steak, the sauce, and the pasta. While using high-quality components will always elevate a dish, this recipe is also incredibly forgiving.

For the Steak:

• 500g sirloin, rump, or rib-eye steak, about 1-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Sweet and Spicy Garlic Sauce:

• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced (or 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes, adjusted to taste)
• 60ml low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water (a cornflour slurry)

For the Pasta and Garnish:

• 300g linguine, spaghetti, or your favourite long pasta
• 1 tablespoon reserved pasta water
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• A handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Your Pasta

We’ll walk you through every stage to guarantee your steak is perfectly tender and your sauce is simply divine. Just follow these steps, and you will have a spectacular meal ready in no time at all.

1. 
   

   Prepare and Cook the Pasta: Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a vigorous boil. Add the pasta and cook it as per the package instructions until it’s al dente. Right before you drain it, scoop out and save a cup of the starchy cooking water. This magic ingredient is the key to creating a smooth, velvety sauce. Drain the pasta well and set it to one side.

   
   
2. 
   

   Sear the Steak to Perfection: As the pasta cooks, get the steak ready. Use a paper towel to pat it completely dry—this step is essential for achieving a lovely, browned crust. Season it liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat until you see it shimmer. Gently lay the steak in the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side for a beautiful medium-rare, adjusting for its thickness. Try not to move it too much, as this helps a good sear to develop. When cooked to your preference, transfer the steak to a cutting board to rest for at least 5-10 minutes. This vital step allows the juices to settle back into the meat, making every bite wonderfully moist.

   
   
3. 
   

   Create the Vibrant Sauce: In the same pan, turn the heat down to medium. You’ll notice some tasty browned bits left behind by the steak—that’s pure flavour! Add your minced garlic and sliced chilli, and sauté for around 30 seconds until they become aromatic, taking care not to let the garlic catch. Now, pour in the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Whisk it all together, making sure to scrape up all those flavourful remnants from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce come to a gentle simmer.

   
   
4. 
   

   Thicken the Sauce and Combine: As the sauce is simmering, give the cornflour slurry another quick mix and pour it in. Keep whisking as the sauce bubbles and thickens, which should only take a minute or so. Next, slice your well-rested steak thinly against the grain. Add the cooked pasta, the sliced steak (and any juices that have collected on the board), and a tablespoon of your reserved pasta water to the pan. Toss everything together energetically until the steak and pasta are evenly coated in the wonderful, glossy sauce. If it looks a bit too thick, just add another splash of pasta water until it reaches the perfect consistency.

   
   
5. 
   

   Garnish and Serve Immediately: Share the Asian inspired steak pasta between your plates. Garnish it liberally with sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh coriander. Serve while it’s hot and wait for the glowing reviews!

   
   

Choosing the Best Cut of Steak

The triumph of this meal really depends on using tender, flavourful beef. Although various cuts are suitable, we find some are better for the fast-cooking method we employ here. For a recipe like this, you need a steak that is both tender and possesses a rich, beefy taste that can hold its own against the powerful sauce. We suggest:

• Sirloin Steak: This is our number one recommendation. It provides a superb balance of tenderness and deep flavour at a reasonable price point. It sears perfectly and stays juicy once sliced.
• Rib-eye Steak: If you’re planning a more luxurious meal, rib-eye is an excellent choice. Its generous marbling and fat content lead to exceptionally tender and flavour-packed meat.
• Rump Steak: As a more wallet-friendly option, rump steak delivers a pronounced, beefy taste. It can have a slightly firmer texture, so it’s crucial to cook it to medium-rare at most and slice it thinly against the grain.

For more detailed information on selecting the perfect cut, this guide to cooking steak from Great British Chefs is an excellent resource.

Tips for Cooking the Perfect Steak Every Time

• Room Temperature is Key: Remove your steak from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before you plan to cook it. A steak that isn’t chilled will cook more uniformly.
• Hot Pan, Good Sear: Make certain your pan is sufficiently hot before the steak goes in. This is how you achieve that delicious, caramelised crust.
• Rest is Best: We simply cannot overstate this point! Resting the steak before you slice it is an absolute must. It ensures all the flavourful juices stay inside the meat instead of running out onto your board.

Customising Your Spicy Beef Pasta Recipe

One of the finest aspects of this spicy beef pasta recipe is just how easy it is to modify. We encourage you to use our recipe as a fantastic blueprint for your culinary experiments.

Make it Your Ideal Sweet Heat Pasta Dish

The balance of flavours is completely up to you. If you lean towards a milder dish, simply use half a chilli or a small pinch of chilli flakes. For those who love a fiery kick, feel free to add an extra chilli or a splash of sriracha. The same principle applies to the sweetness; you can adjust the honey to suit your palate. This adaptability is what makes it such a superb sweet heat pasta dish.

Turn it into Garlic Chili Steak Noodles

No pasta in the cupboard? Not a problem! This sauce is utterly delicious with noodles as well. Give it a go with udon, ramen, or egg noodles for a wonderfully satisfying bowl of garlic chili steak noodles. Simply cook your chosen noodles as instructed on the packet and toss them through the sauce just as you would with pasta.

Pack in More Veggies

Don’t hesitate to add some vegetables for extra nutrients and texture. We suggest adding quick-cooking greens to the pan right after the garlic and chilli. Sliced bell peppers, mangetout, tenderstem broccoli, or a big handful of fresh spinach would all be fantastic additions.

FAQ

More Delicious Pasta Recipes to Try

If you’re passionate about making wonderful pasta meals at home, you have come to the right place. For another substantial, meat-based dish that’s perfect for a Sunday lunch, we are confident you will adore our classic Beef Ragu Pasta Recipe. And for those nights when you crave something cosy, creamy, and packed with garlic, our One Pot Creamy Garlic Pasta is a true champion that makes cooking and cleaning up a breeze!

Final Thoughts on Our Sweet and Spicy Garlic Steak Pasta

We firmly believe that exceptional food doesn’t need to be overly complicated. This Sweet and Spicy Garlic Steak Pasta truly embodies that idea. It is quick to make, packed with flavour, and incredibly versatile, ensuring it will become a dependable favourite you’ll make time and time again. It’s proof that you can serve up an exciting, restaurant-quality meal from your own kitchen, even on the most hectic of days.

So, the next time you find yourself wondering what to cook for dinner, we hope you’ll remember this recipe. We invite you to make it for yourself and discover a new weeknight staple. We would be delighted to hear what you think, so please do leave us a comment and a rating below. Happy cooking!