You'll need to figure out which tactic is going to work on him. Forcing him probably won't work. Conning him is IMO, not a good way to go either.
You might try meatless night once a week, with something hearty like GenB suggests. If that is too extreme, then 'low meat' dishes like your pasta could be a good introduction. Consider things like lentils and sausage, rice pilaf or jambalaya, beef stroganoff casserole, etc. Have a pasta or rice based dish once a week until he gets used to it, and then start doing it twice a week.
I find that dishes like tacos or fajitas can be both economical, and still have lots of meat as the center of the meal. Use ground beef or turkey, or shredded chicken (thighs are cheap and good for this). Even a piece of skirt steak or sirloin, though expensive, can be sliced thin and used to fill a lot of tortillas. Make sure there is plenty of sauteed onion, peppers, cheese, salsa, and rice on the side.
He can still fulfill his need to grill by cooking burgers, bratwurst, and hot dogs. Save the steak for special occasions. I like them as much as the next person, but these days only buy them if the price is really good. I think we appreciate it more that way.
Talk to him about larger cuts you (he) can cook and use in more than one meal. Perhaps a large pork loin that can be cut for steaks the first night, sliced thin for sandwiches the next day, then used in stir fry or fried rice at a later date. This introduces the concept of using a big hunk of meat for more than one meal, and mixing meat with rice and vegetables to make it go father.
Rememeber that whatever you try to get him to eat has to taste great. If he has objections to things you make now, try to pin down the issue. Is it too spicy? Too bland? Is the texture wrong? How? What can you change? In many cases I found that some simple switches made a big difference in what DH would eat... steamed vegetables not boiled, different brand of biscuit mix, using tomato puree instead of chunks....
I've been honest with my husband the couple times things got tough and said "We can't afford that." Not being able to afford steaks or to have meat every night doesn't mean you have to eat badly. You just make a more suitable choice, like grilled chicken instead of sirloin.
Finally, when I try new stuff on DH and he doesn't seem enthused, I promise him that if he does not like it I won't make it again. (this doesn't mean a different version with adjustments isn't in the future) But I do get his feedback about what he did not like, the taste, texture, whatever. I've been pretty lucky so far that many things I have tried came out good and he likes the new recipes, so he is usually willing to keep trying.