Okay, I think goulash is really a Hungarian dish, and it’s way different from this, but this is how my mother always made it, and I’ve seen other internet recipes along these same lines. So, to be clear, this is not Hungarian, and it’s not even Italian, really. In any case, it’s one of my favorite one-pot, fast and easy weeknight meals. I love to have meals like this in my toolbox. It’s a comforting dish, and it pairs well with a salad and/or garlic bread if you want. This recipe also makes plenty, feeding about six pretty comfortably. The three of us had it this afternoon, and there’s plenty left for a second bowl of it later in the week.
Italian Goulash
Notes
You could certainly make this with ground turkey if you want to lighten it up a bit. As for the seasoning, I used Dan-O's, but you could use any seasoning blend you like. I did not add any salt to this because of dietary needs in our house, but you could certainly add 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt, or just to taste at the end. To be honest, I didn't think it needed any.
I used shell pasta for this, but you do you. Any kind of pasta you like would be fine, but I think it's best with a shape that will catch the sauce and deliver it.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 32-ounce box beef broth (I use no salt added)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb mix (Italian seasoning)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dan-O's seasoning (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound medium shell pasta (see note)
- Ground parmesan and grated mozzarella cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef and onions in a dutch oven until the meat is browned and the onions are softened, breaking up the ground beef as it cooks.
- Drain off excess rendered fat if desired. Add the tomato sauce, broth, garlic and seasonings to the dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and bring back to the boil, then offset the lid and simmer for 10 minutes, or until pasta is completely cooked (al dente) and the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Serve with parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese on top, if desired. Serve a salad and/or garlic bread as a side.
