Originating from the French kitchen, the classic steak au poivre is a sumptuous beef tenderloin pan-seared and coated with a luscious peppercorn crust. This dish gets its unique flavor from a creamy pan sauce, an exquisite mix of cognac, shallots, stock, and cream. Being traditionally served with fries, the recipe now calls for a twist - replace the fries with noodles, more specifically, mafalda corta, which perfectly absorbs the rich sauce. The sauce comes to life with the extra tang from the brined peppercorns and creme fraiche, yet in their absence, the combination of capers and heavy cream works just as well.

To bring out the full essence of the dish, pair it with a refreshing green salad and a glass of Rhône red. The French word "Au poivre" denotes that it is prepared or served with a considerate amount of pepper in the form of whole peppercorns or ground black pepper. Traditionally, filet mignon, also known as beef tenderloin, is used in classic steak au poivre, but any quick-cooking, tender steak, like skirt, strip, or ribeye, can step in perfectly instead.

Modify pasta with mafalda corta, a short cut version of mafaldine that mimics lasagna noodles. If this flat, ruffled-edge pasta is difficult to source, other short, ruffled pasta options like farfalle, fusilli, or campanelle work just as well. Brined green peppercorns, typically found near capers in any local grocery stores, can impart tanginess to the sauce.

The recipe, which begins with simmering pasta in salted water, suggests that beef, neatly cut into cubes, can be coated with a mixture of coarsely cracked black pepper, kosher salt, and canola oil before pan-searing it. The next step includes stir frying shallots, brined green peppercorns, and thyme in the same skillet and adding cognac or brandy to deglaze it. This broth, simmered until slightly reduced, gives a glossy, smooth sauce upon stirring in unsalted butter and crème fraîche with Dijon mustard and a bit more black pepper and salt. Tossed with drained pasta and finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, all while adding cooking water to preserve the sauce's sheen and tossed-in steak cubes, the steak au poivre is ready to be plated. Garnishing with additional fresh thyme and black pepper is the perfect finishing touch.