The holidays are coming up faster than we would like, and it is time to consider how many guests you expect and what they might want to eat. The dish needs to taste good, be easy to make, and, even better -  meet the different dietary needs of family members. For those reasons, creating a Christmas Menu is hard work. This four-ingredient recipe makes this alternative Christmas meal a perfect solution to add to the mix of Christmas menu ideas. A pasta bar is a great alternative to serving a sit-down pasta dinner. You can add gluten-free pasta, veggie or low-carb noodles, and different pasta sauces to cover all the food preferences your group demands. This creamy vodka pasta with steak bites is a good option for your low-carb friends, and the zoodles are an excellent option for your gluten-free pals when coming up with Christmas dinner ideas. 

This recipe is simple, and you can respect yourself for taking the easy road and purchasing the vodka pasta sauce! You have a lot to do, and the author of this recipe, Pinch of Yum (www.pinchofyum.com), understands. If you don't have a spiralizer to tackle the zucchini, we recommend this cooks tool from our kitchen gadgets 2022 collection, the julienne grater. The julienne grater creates strips of zucchini that look like noodles. Pro Tip: push your zucchini lengthwise down the grater to achieve longer zucchini strands. Another tip for this recipe to save time is to ask the butcher for steak cubes, so you don't have to cut them yourself. Try this simple and quick steak recipe, and maybe it will be your new Christmas Eve dinner idea. 

Recipe: 
2 Tblsps    Butter
1  LB        Sirloin steak  (ask the butcher to cube it for you)
35-40 Oz  Purchased Vodka Sauce (about 1.5 jars)
2-3            Large Zucchini

optional: Parmesan Cheese and Parsley (for garnish)

Directions: 

Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. Heat the butter in a large heavy-duty skillet over medium-low heat until it is lightly brown but not black. Browning the steak in butter adds flavor. Turn the heat up (higher heat is good!) and add the steak to the butter in the skillet. Let the steak sit in the pan for about a minute without stirring- this helps the steak get a nice sear on one side. Flip the steak pieces and cook for another minute or two until both sides are well-seared, which should only take 2-3 minutes - because of the size of the steak pieces, you only need to sear the outside, and the insides will continue to cook just enough once you remove them from the pan. 

Remove the skillet from heat, transfer the steak to a bowl, and wipe the skillet with a paper towel to remove excess grease. Add the sauce to the pan. Stir in the steak and simmer for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the zucchini noodles.   Spiralize or julienne the zucchini into noodles. Top the zucchini (or pasta) with sauce and sprinkle as desired with freshly grated parmesan and parsley sprigs.   Serve immediately. 

Serve with steamed broccoli, a side Ceaser salad, and a slice of delicious bread. 

Nutritional Information:

Calories per Serving:    403            % Daily Value         
Total Fat                         23.6g        36%
    Saturated Fat              10.5g        53%
Cholesterol                   103.7mg     35%
Sodium                       1421.8mg     59%
Total Carbohydrate        22.6g          8%
   Dietary Fiber                 6.7g        27%
   Sugars                          16.2g
Protein                              29g         58%
Vitamin A                                        15%
Vitamin C                                      105%
Calcium                                           11%
Iron                                                  29%