Caramelized Onion Spinach Pasta Bake with Steak 

Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ lbs your choice of steak (we used Skirt Steak) 
Salt 
Pepper 
10 oz dry pasta shells (or your preference of pasta)
½ tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
½ tsp salt & pepper
6-8 oz. fresh spinach 
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp butter 

FOR SAUCE:
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 ¾ cup milk
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking dish.
  2. Remove steak from the fridge and season liberally with salt and pepper. Leave the steak to rest. 
  3. Boil the noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 
  4. In a large pot over medium high heat, add ½ tbsp olive oil, onions, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Stir to coat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally and checking every 5-10 minutes until they have completely caramelized and turned golden brown. If onions are sticking to the pan, deglaze with a couple tsp of water. 
  5. Once the onions are caramelized, reduce heat to low and stir in spinach, cooking until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
  6. In the same pot, add in 2 tbsp of butter and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, alternate adding in a little bit of flour and a little bit of milk, whisking away any lumps as you mix them in. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally until sauce thickens.
  7. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and stir in garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add more milk 1 tbsp at a time if the sauce is too thick. 
  8. Stir in cooked noodles, spinach, and caramelized onions. Pour mixture into your prepared baking pan and spread out.
  9. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with 1 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle mixture on top of the casserole. Bake for 25 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown.
  10. When the casserole goes into the oven, preheat your grill and begin grilling the steak with around 15 minutes remaining. Grill to your preferred doneness.
  11. Once steak has finished on the grill, slice and serve on top of pasta bake.