I’ve been planning to experiment with fettuccine sauce with dairy alternatives besides cheese, and this was a great success. We had a flank steak hanging out in the freezer that was perfect for this, and I liked the idea of using steak instead of chicken – if the sauce was lackluster, the steak has a stronger flavor than chicken. But the sauce was great, and I would definitely make it with either chicken or steak. We did use gluten free noodles.

• 12 oz. fettuccine (regular or gluten free)
• 1 lb. sirloin steak (or chicken)
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. butter (I used Smart Balance soy-free)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur gluten free all-purpose flour)
• 2 c. milk (I used plain, extra creamy oat milk)
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
• 4 c. baby spinach
• 2 tbsp. balsamic glaze (1/3 c. balsamic vinegar simmered for about 10 minutes)

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot. If you are using gluten free pasta, you can skip this step, the pasta water doesn’t do much to season sauce.
• Season the steak with salt and pepper. Cook four minutes per side for medium-rare. Grilling would also be great. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice.
• For the sauce, in a small sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute more, then slowly add milk, whisking to break up lumps, and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
• Add cooked pasta to the pot, and toss to combine. Add spinach and toss until wilted.