This is one of those go-to weeknight meals that we can throw together with our eyes closed and one hand behind our back. Chewy pasta and gooey cheese are balanced out by a big helping of veggies. Add in a spicy kick and everyone leaves happy. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples at our house, and there’s plenty of flexibility in the recipe to throw in whatever happens to be in season or on hand.

If you’d like to save yourself an extra step, you can actually cook the pasta right in the skillet along with the ragu. Add it in with the tomatoes, along with an extra 1/2 cup of water. The pasta will absorb the flavorful cooking liquid and release starch, making the dish extra creamy!

Flat Iron Steak is a fantastic cut of meat to have on hand for a quick, midweek supper. Besides lending itself to a speedy preparation (it only requires a few minutes in the skillet and a few more to rest), it is full of juicy flavor due to its characteristic marbling. Here I pair it with salsa verde and, because it’s still so wonderfully possible, fresh sliced garden tomatoes on the side.
Tip: My Trader Joe’s carries flat iron steak in 8 oz packages, which is just perfect for two light meat eaters.