When you hear the word Goulash you usually think of a hearty meat and tomato-based dish found in Northern Europe, predominantly in Hungary. This dish is also a hearty meat and tomato-based dish, but it has the addition of cooked pasta. When Jim and I moved to Florida his mom and Mema taught me how to make this recipe. It is one of Jim’s favorites from growing up that on occasion he requests for dinner. The great thing about this dish is not only is it quick to make, but it’s also a great way to stretch your money. We like it a little on the meat heavy side, but you can always reduce the meat. Jim’s Mema said that she would often add beans to help stretch the meal.
While many recipes use macaroni noodles, Jim prefers the rotini shape. The spiraled noodles tend to grab onto the sauce more than macaroni shaped noodles.
When you are making this be sure to allow the meat to brown the bottom of the pan a bit. It will break loose once you add the moisture from the tomatoes. It adds flavor to the dish. I used my own canned tomatoes, but we have made this with store bought. In fact, Jim’s mom said she would sometimes add fire roasted tomatoes to add a little extra flavor.
To finish it off Jim always adds parmesan cheese. I like to hit it with a sprinkle of my Cajun seasoning too. It adds just a touch of additional seasoning at the end. Enjoy!
Southern Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound ground chuck
- 1- 1 pound box rotini pasta
- 1 can tomato soup
- 2 cans diced tomato or 1 can diced and 1 can stewed
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook your pasta, drain, and set aside. In a large pot brown your ground chuck. When it is almost cooked completely pour through a strainer and strain out the excess fat. Using the same pot without cleaning it out, put your chopped onion on to cook. Add the meat back in and continue cooking. You want it to start to brown the bottom of the pan. Add your minced garlic, and a little salt and pepper. When the meat is fully cooked and the onions soft, add your canned items. This liquid will allow all the browned bits on the bottom to remove and meld into the sauce. Add in the sugar and garlic powder, taste, and then add any more salt and pepper to your taste. Carefully mix in your cooked pasta. Serve as is or with a little parmesan cheese on top.
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