Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 small red and 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 3 cups total)

　　Salt

　　4 strip or shell steaks, trimmed of most fat, each about 6 ounces and 3/4 inch thick

　　5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　6 cloves garlic, peeled 1 1/2 cups sliced assorted mushrooms

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　3 cups peeled, seeded, and crushed ripe plum tomatoes (see page 9), or one 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), seeded and crushed

　　1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

　　4 to 6 fresh basil leaves, shredded

　　

Step 1

Stir the sliced peppers into a large pot of salted boiling water. Return to a boil, cook 2 minutes, and drain. Rinse with cold water and let cool.

　　

Step 2

Rub both sides of the steaks with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and let them stand at room temperature while preparing the sauce. Place a large heavy skillet—cast iron is ideal—over low heat.

　　

Step 3

Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic with the flat side of a knife, add to the oil, and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and stir until wilted and caramelized, about 6 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and stir in the crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to simmering, and cook 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced peppers and the basil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves or, if you like, leave them in. Cover the skillet to keep the sauce warm.

　　

Step 4

Raise the heat under the empty skillet to medium-high. Add the steaks and cook until the underside is well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the steaks and cook 3 minutes for a medium-rare steak, longer for more well-done steaks. Transfer the steaks to warm plates and spoon some of the pizzaiola sauce over each.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.