Steak Marinade for "Steak and Tubes"

We had Gpa and Penny over for a fun Christmas Spode dinner tonight, so had to find something new to make.  I made this with flank steak and it was a HIT!!  We all loved it -- the boys weren't such huge fans of the sauce but the rest of us licked it clean :)

Makes 6 servings

For the Steak Marinade:

• 1 cup of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing be sure to buy the ZESTY variety
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 lbs beef cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoon butter

For the Buttered Noodles (Also known as "Tubes"):

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 6 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Marinate the Steak

• At least 24 hours before you plan to serve the meal you need to prepare the steak marinade.
• Trim any large portions of fat from the beef and cut it into 1.5-inch pieces. 
• You need a 1 to 1 ratio of Italian dressing and teriyaki sauce. 2 cups of marinade will generously cover your steak and provide a finished sauce at the end. Combine them in a measuring cup and pour over the meat in a glass dish. Use a fork or spoon to gently toss the steak in the marinade. Make sure each piece has been coated in the marinade. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better if you can plan ahead. 

Cook the Steak

• Place the dish of marinating steak on the counter for 20 minutes before you plan to cook so the steak isn't too cold when it hits the skillet.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter until it is just bubbling.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to the saute pan, letting the excess marinade drip back into the dish.
• Brown the beef in the butter for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and bring it to a boil while the steak simmers and finishes cooking.
• NOTE: If your steak is already cooked through, you can pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan and boil it before serving. Don't overcook the beef.  

For the Buttered Noodles

• Boil the pasta for the shortest amount of time directed on the packaging. Drain.
• Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Toss in the pasta and sprinkle with the garlic salt. Continue to stir occasionally so that some of the pasta just barely starts to crisp up in the butter. Our family fights over the crunchy ones.
• Serve the finished steak with a drizzle of the sauce over the top along with a serving of buttered noodles on the side.