Italian Beef and Noodles

This is one of my "go to" meals that we have ALL the time because everybody likes it! It's great when served hot, but I also like the leftovers cold.
If your on a budget this is a great meal to make because you can limit how much meat goes into the dish. I like to cut the meat thinner, which makes it appear to have more in it (nice trick right?!) This would be good with any assortment of vegetables in it, but zucchini is generally what I use.


1 pound thinly sliced steak (I like to use the already sliced carne asada meat and pound it)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomato halves
1/4-1/2 cup Zesty Italian dressing
1 box Penne
1 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Season water with a good amount of salt and add Penne noodles. Stir and cook roughly 10-12 minutes. Drain.

2. Pound out the thinly sliced steak and cut steak into strips roughly 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 inches (bite sized).

3. Put olive oil in large pan and heat to medium-high. When ready, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

4.Season beef with salt and pepper and cook for one to two minutes or until the surface is no longer pink. Remove steak with slotted spoon and keep warm.

5. Add zucchini to same skillet; fry for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.

6. Return beef to skillet with tomato halves and dressing, heat through.

7. Serve beef mixture over hot pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

**Randi's Side Notes**
~ Gluten free noodles work great in this recipe, just be sure to under cook them slightly because they tend to fall apart a lot easier when fully cooked.
~ I left the tomatoes off of this recipe for years and liked it just the same.