Description
Savory old fashioned goulash brings comfort straight from Grandma’s kitchen to your dinner table, warming hearts with its rich, meaty embrace. Hearty pasta, tender beef, and a robust tomato sauce create a classic meal that feels like a warm hug after a long day.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Supporting Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large skillet at medium-high heat. Crumble 2 pounds ground beef, cooking until no pink remains and achieving a deep brown color.
- Chop 1 large onion and mince 3 garlic cloves. Toss these into the browned meat, sautéing for 3-4 minutes until onions turn translucent and release their aromatic sweetness.
- Dump 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce and 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes into the skillet. Pour 2 cups water and stir everything to create a rich, hearty base.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper across the mixture. Drop in 2 bay leaves for subtle depth.
- Splash 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce into the skillet. Allow the liquid to simmer at 200°F for exactly 20 minutes, developing complex flavors.
- Fish out the bay leaves and discard them. Stir in 2 cups elbow macaroni, cooking at a gentle bubble for 12-15 minutes until pasta reaches perfect tenderness.
- Scatter 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the hot goulash. Let the cheese melt for 2-3 minutes, creating a tempting golden blanket across the dish.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef to keep the dish less greasy and prevent excess oil from forming.
- Let the goulash simmer slowly to develop deep, rich flavors and allow the seasonings to blend completely.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular elbow macaroni with chickpea or gluten-free pasta alternatives.
- Fresh herbs like parsley or basil sprinkled on top can brighten the dish and add a fresh flavor contrast to the hearty meat sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Hungarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 497 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg