I really like this goulash! It’s delicious, easy to make and satisfying- all things that I like in a recipe.

This isn’t a traditional Hungarian goulash but my take on American style goulash. There’s lots of meat and pasta cooked in an irresistible herb infused tomato sauce. It’s delicious!

There’s a lot of oregano, basil, garlic and onion which give the tomato sauce yummy Italian flavors. A little bit of paprika adds a subtle sweetness that brings all of the flavors together beautifully.

This is a great winter’s meal. It’s hearty and warm. I would classify this as comfort food but pretty nutritious comfort food. It also is made in one pot which makes for super easy clean up. No separate pans needed to brown the meat and cook the pasta.

This tastes even better after it sits in the fridge for a day or two so this is a great make ahead meal. I love having a big bowl of this in the fridge for easy meals. All you need is a salad to go with it and maybe a little bread for particularly hungry people.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 tablespoons dried chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
• 3 cups water
• 1- 28 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni or other small pasta
• Salt to taste

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (at least 6 quarts), brown the ground beef. If there is a lot of fat after cooking the meat, drain it off. Stir in all of the seasonings and cook a couple minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the pasta. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then simmer covered over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pasta and simmer covered until the pasta is tender (about 25 minutes), stirring occasionally. Salt to taste. Makes about 14 cups.