Description
Easy Hungarian-inspired paula deen goulash combines hearty beef, paprika-rich sauce, and comforting pasta in one satisfying pot. Home cooks will savor this classic recipe that brings European flavor directly to your family table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (0.9 kg) lean ground beef
- 3 cups (710 ml) water
- 2 cups (473 ml) elbow macaroni
- 1 (29 oz / 822 g) can tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5 oz / 411 g) cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 large chopped Vidalia onion
- 1 chopped red bell pepper
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 3 tbsps Paula Deen Hot Sauce
- 2 tsps dried basil
- 2 tsps dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- kosher salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- parsley (to taste)
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add ground beef. Break down the meat thoroughly while cooking until completely browned, approximately 10 minutes.
- Aromatic Enhancement: Add diced onions to the browned beef, sautéing until they become translucent and release their fragrant essence, roughly 5 minutes.
- Liquid Foundation: Pour water, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes into the meat mixture, creating a vibrant and robust liquid base for the goulash.
- Seasoning Symphony: Sprinkle dried basil, oregano, hot sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into the mixture, stirring to distribute the spices evenly and develop a complex flavor profile.
- Simmering Stage: Cover the Dutch oven and allow the mixture to simmer gently for 20 minutes, enabling the spices to meld and intensify the overall taste.
- Pasta Integration: Add uncooked elbow macaroni directly into the simmering sauce, stirring to ensure even distribution and prevent clumping.
- Final Cooking Phase: Continue simmering for 30 minutes, stirring periodically to guarantee uniform pasta cooking and flavor absorption.
- Resting and Serving: Remove from heat and let the goulash rest for 20 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with crusty garlic bread for a complete, comforting meal.
Notes
- Meat Browning Tip: Ensure ground beef is thoroughly cracked and separated during cooking to achieve uniform texture and prevent clumping.
- Seasoning Strategy: Taste and adjust spices incrementally to balance flavors, as dried herbs can vary in intensity.
- Pasta Cooking Caution: Add macaroni directly into sauce to absorb maximum flavor, preventing separate cooking that could dilute the dish’s richness.
- Resting Importance: Allow goulash to rest after cooking, which helps sauce thicken and ingredients meld, creating deeper, more complex taste profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg