Easy Steak Pizzaiola Recipe (Carne Alla Pizzaiola)- is a super easy meal in under 30 minutes. It is a classic Italian dish with tender, thin, seared steak cooked in a robust tomato sauce with briny green olives and capers, providing a savory and vibrant dish!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Carne Alla Pizzaiola, main dish Steak Pizzaiola, meat in tomato sauce
4boneless sirloin steaksthin- about 1/4 inch thick
Salt and pepperto taste
2tablespoonsolive oil
2clovesgarlicminced
114-ounce cancrushed tomatoes (San Marzano)
1teaspoondried oregano
1tablespoonfresh basilchopped
½teaspoonred pepper flakesadjust to your preferred level of spiciness
¼cupred wineor beef broth
¼cupgreen olivespitted and whole
2tablespoonscapersdrained
Fresh basil leaves and oregano sprigsfor garnish
Instructions
Pat steaks dry with clean paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the steaks and sear them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side or until they are nicely browned. This step will give the steaks a nice crust. Once seared, remove the steaks from the skillet and set them aside.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute in the same skillet until fragrant. Scrap the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. If you're using red wine, add it at this stage. Stir well to combine all the flavors.
Stir in the green olives and capers.
Place the seared steaks back into the skillet, nestling them into the tomato sauce along with the olives and capers. Spoon some of the sauce over the steaks.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and let the steaks simmer in the sauce for about 15 minutes, or until the steaks are cooked to your desired level of doneness, and the flavors meld together.
Once the steaks are cooked, remove them from the skillet and place them on serving plates.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of water to thin it out. If it is too thin, you can add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
Spoon the sauce, green olives, and capers over the steaks and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve the Steak Pizzaiola hot. It pairs well with a side of crusty bread.
Notes
You can use any steak you like for this recipe. For best results, use a quick-cook steak and not stew beef.
Vary the olives and use black olives. You can omit the capers if they aren’t your taste.