Mama’s Work Night Goulash

An American style beef, onion, tomato, and pasta goulash that’s easy and quick to make. Mighty tasty too.

My mom, Ginny, was one hard-working woman, mother of two wild kids and corporate vice president for a mid-sized fine wine and liqueur distributer in Seattle, Washington. (She was a friend of Robert Mondavi!)

From second grade and  into adulthood, I cooked our weekday meals. I had dinner on the table Monday through Thursday at 6:00 sharp every night. We went out to eat on Fridays, always to one of the local Chinese restaurants. But occasionally Dad would have to work late on Friday and since Mom didn’t drive in those days, we had dinner at home, and she did the cooking. This goulash made frequent appearances on those Friday nights.

Not only was it delicious, it was also fast and cheap. My brother Daniel and I loved it. Once I was out on my own in my early twenties, this dish was a lifesaver. I could make a batch on Sunday and eat it all week after work. It’s one of those dishes that always delivers. Nothing fancy, just simple, filling, and nourishing.

It’s fun and easy to play around with too. Sometimes I throw in diced bell or chili peppers with the onion or use half ground beef and half pork sausage. Feel free to improvise.

Virginia Francis Stahl’s Friday Night Goulash

1 pound dried tubular pasta, such as Casareccia, Garganelli or Penn Rigate
1 tablespoon fine sea salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, stemmed, and chopped
1 tablespoon dried Herbes de Provence (or mixture of dried savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano)
6 cloves garlic, peeled, and minced

1 pound ground beef

Three 14.5 ounce cans best chopped tomatoes

fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional
Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Prepare Pasta: Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to a boil.
2. Add pasta and boil until just tender, with still a bit of bite.
3. Drain pasta and reserve.
4. Prepare Sauce: In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add olive oil, chopped onion and Herbes de Provence.
5. Sauté onion mixture about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned.
6. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so.
7. Raise heat to medium-high, and add ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
8. Sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
9. Add tomatoes and cook for several minutes, stirring to combine.
10. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine.
11. Season the taste with salt and pepper.
12. Serve hot with optional grated cheese.

Super Easy Beef & Tomato Goulash

Mom always boiled the pasta separately and added it after the base was prepared. That’s still my favorite method. However, after recent tests, I offer you another, even easier, way to make this dish. It’s creamier and richer than the original, but very tasty as well.

For this method, simply add the dried pasta to the base sauce, add chicken stock, and simmer, covered, to hydrate the pasta.

For this version, you need a lid for the sauté pan.

Above ingredients

3 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed

1. Skip Steps 1, 2, and 3.
2. At Step 10, add 3 cups chicken stock, and bring to a simmer.
3. Add dried pasta and stir to combine.
4. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, just until pasta is tender.
5. If necessary, add additional chicken stock, ¼ cup at a time, to fully hydrate the pasta and lighten the sauce as needed.
6. Season the taste with salt and pepper.
7. Serve hot with optional grated cheese.

Copyright 2020 Susan S. Bradley