Sizzling Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Velvety Alfredo Tortellini

These steak bites with garlic butter and cheesy tortellini alfredo bring together two mouthwatering components for a fancy dinner you can whip up in half an hour. The buttery garlic creates juicy, tender steak chunks while the homemade alfredo wraps around soft cheese tortellini, making a dinner that'll hit all your comfort food spots.

I came up with this dish when my wife's parents dropped by unexpectedly one night. With just minutes to pull something together that would wow them, this combo saved the day and now we make it whenever we want to feel a bit fancy.

What You'll Need

• 1½ lbs steak pieces: go for sirloin or ribeye for the best bite and taste; look for pieces with nice fat marbling
• 3 tablespoons butter: used for cooking the steak; gives that golden outside and rich flavor
• 3 garlic cloves, minced: nothing beats the smell and taste of real garlic compared to the bottled stuff
• 1 package cheese tortellini (20 oz): the fresh kind cooks quicker but frozen works fine too
• 2 tablespoons butter: forms the start of your creamy sauce
• 2 cups heavy cream: makes the alfredo extra thick and velvety
• 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese: grate it yourself for smoother melting
• Salt and black pepper to taste: brings out all the other tastes in the dish

How To Make It

Get The Pasta Ready:

Fill a big pot with water and add plenty of salt until it tastes like seawater. Once it's bubbling away, drop in your cheese tortellini and let them cook based on what the package says, usually around 7-9 minutes for the refrigerated kind. Give them a stir now and then so they don't clump together. You'll know they're done when they float up to the top and feel tender but still a bit firm when you bite into one. Drain them well but skip rinsing. A tiny splash of olive oil keeps them from sticking while you work on the rest.

Cook Those Steak Bites:

Get a big, heavy pan nice and hot. You should feel heat coming off when your hand hovers above it. Throw in the butter and let it melt completely until it starts to bubble a bit. Toss in your chopped garlic and cook just until you can smell it, about half a minute. Don't let it burn or it'll taste bitter and ruin everything. Add your steak chunks in one layer so each piece touches the hot pan. You might need to do this in batches. Give each side about 2-3 minutes until they get a nice brown crust but stay a little pink inside for juiciness. Add salt as you go to bring out the flavor. Move the cooked steak to a plate but keep all those tasty bits and butter in the pan.

Make Your Alfredo:

Using that same pan with all the tasty steak bits, melt your second batch of butter over medium heat. Pour in your cream and let it warm up until little bubbles form around the edge, but don't let it boil hard. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon so it doesn't burn. Add your Parmesan cheese in three batches, making sure each batch melts completely before adding the next. This keeps it smooth with no lumps. Add salt and fresh pepper as you taste it. Let it bubble gently for 5-7 minutes, stirring now and then, until it coats the back of your spoon. Remember it'll get thicker as it cools, so take it off the heat when it seems a bit runnier than you want.

Put It All Together:

Gently mix your cooked tortellini into the alfredo sauce using a soft spatula so you don't break the pasta. Make sure every piece gets coated in the creamy goodness. Let them hang out together for a minute or two so the pasta soaks up some flavor. Keep it a bit saucier than you think it needs since the pasta will keep drinking up the sauce.

Serve It Up:

Scoop the creamy tortellini onto warm plates to make a bed for your steak. Arrange those tasty steak bites on top, nestling them slightly into the sauce. Pour any leftover garlic butter from cooking the steak all over everything for an extra hit of flavor. This final touch makes the whole plate shine with delicious buttery goodness.

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Good To Know

The secret to this dish is using all those browned bits from the steak to start your alfredo sauce. When I stumbled onto this trick, it totally changed how the sauce tasted. Now my hubby asks for this every birthday, saying it beats anything he's had at fancy restaurants.

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Common Questions

→ What type of steak works best for this dish?

Ribeye or sirloin cuts give you the best taste and tenderness, but you can also go with any steak that cooks fast like strip steak if that's what you've got.

→ Can I use store-bought Alfredo sauce?

You can definitely grab a jar from the store to make things easier. But whipping up your own sauce really bumps up the taste of the whole dish.

→ How can I prevent the tortellini from sticking together?

Once you've drained the cooked tortellini, mix in a bit of olive oil. This stops them from clumping up while you're busy with the other parts.

→ What's the best way to achieve a good sear on the steak?

Let your steak sit out until it reaches room temp before cooking and don't crowd too many pieces in the pan. Cook on medium-high heat and wait before flipping so you'll get that nice brown crust.

→ Can I make this dish ahead of time?

You can prep the parts earlier, but it's way better to put everything together right before eating. This keeps the steak juicy and the sauce nice and creamy.