A delicious take on the flavors from the famous Philly cheesesteak sandwich -- transformed into a cheesy and comforting pasta dish! Philly Cheesesteak Pasta is sure to be a hit!
PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.
For the Pasta:
PASTA: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Generously salt the water (I add 2 teaspoons salt) and then add in the pasta. Cook according to package instructions MINUS 1 minute (Note 2). Strain the pasta through a colander and then dump into the prepared 9x13-inch pan.
For the Beef:
In a very large cast-iron skillet, drizzle in 1 tbsp. olive oil and heat to high heat. Once oil is hot, add in the ground beef. Top with 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, plus salt & pepper to taste (I add 1 tsp fine sea salt & 1/2 tsp pepper). Let beef sear a few minutes; then use a wooden spoon to crumble and cook until it is completely browned through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from pan right and onto the pasta in the pan. If there is more than 1 tbsp fat, drain it off. Don't wipe out pan.
For the Veggies
In the same pan used for the beef, add the butter. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the thinly sliced onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Season to taste (I add 1/4 tsp of salt & pepper). Sauté the veggies, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar. Pour the peppers and onions on top of the beef and pasta. Don't wipe out pan.
For the Provolone Sauce:
Return same pan to heat. Add in 4 tbsp butter and heat to medium heat. Let the butter melt and then whisk in 1/4 cup flour. Keep whisking for a minute or until you cook out all of the raw flour taste. Gradually add the milk while whisking constantly. Season to taste (I add 1/2 tsp salt & pepper). Whisk until milk is fully incorporated and sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat and whisk. Add in 1 cup diced provolone cheese and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of this cheese sauce from the pot right into the pan with the pasta, beef, and veggies. Gently stir everything in the pan together until ingredients are well incorporated and evenly coated in cheese sauce. Spread in an even layer.
Place the slices of provolone on top of the pan. Bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted on top. Remove and serve, garnish if desired with fresh chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Provolone: Use a package of ultra-thin sliced provolone cheese. Take out 6 slices for topping and then dice up the rest into small pieces for the cheese sauce (you should get about 1 cup). If you aren't using the ultra-thin sliced cheese slices, the provolone is over powering as the topping (it's a bit too much cheese!).Note 2: Under-cook the pasta: Since we’ll bake the pasta after it’s been cooked, make sure to drain it 1 minute before the package suggests for al dente. This way, as it bakes it will end up perfectly tender instead of mushy.Note 3: Season at every step: Seasoning is very important for this dish and we want to season as we cook (while also keeping in mind that the cheese adds more saltiness to the dish as a whole). I like to salt the pasta water as the pasta cooks (thus seasoning the cavatappi), seasoning the vegetables, seasoning the beef, and seasoning the provolone cheese sauce. Taste all the elements as you cook and add a dash more if any of the flavors seem flat.