Fresh Rigatoni with Marinara and Steak

Ingredients

• 1 8 ounce beef tenderloin steak, flap meat steak, or hanger steak
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 cups jarred jarred tomato sauce
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the top third of the oven, then heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Blot the beef with a paper towel, then season every side well with salt and pepper. Warm the vegetable oil in a small skillet over high heat until it is smoking, then add the steak. Sear it until the first side is deeply browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the steak over and move the skillet to the oven. Roast until an instant read thermometer reads 125 degrees to 130 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent it loosely with foil, and leave it to rest.
2. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed, about 20 one-second pulses. You can also chop everything finely by hand or use a box grater.
3. Warm the olive oil in a high-sided sautépan over medium heat until it shimmers. Stir in the vegetables and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened and aromatic, about 8 minutes.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Bring the sauce up to a boil, lower the heat so it simmers, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta according to the package directions, taking it off the heat one minute early so it is still a little shy of al dente. Add the pasta to the sauce and, with the pot still over low heat, gently toss until the pasta has taken in most of the sauce, the bottom of the pan is almost dry, and the pasta is cooked through.
6. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and scatter grated Parmesan over it. Slice the steak thinly and lay it over the pasta.