I can remember having this dish growing up. I’m not sure if Home–Style Goulash is what my mom called it, but it was an easy dish for her to pull together after putting in a full day’s work. Being a single parent who worked full-time, making a good home-cooked meal was very important to her. I’ve updated her version by making a few significant changes. This is my version of a Hungarian Home-Style Goulash.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Equipment: 1 (6-quart) Dutch oven, 1 (6-quart) stockpot, colander, chef’s knife, cutting board

Ingredients:
2 pounds of (90% lean) ground sirloin
1 pound (16-ounce) box of Barilla Cavatappi
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 pint Cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon, freshly ground
1/4 cup beef broth, unsalted
1 (10.5-ounce) can beef consommé
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 (14.5-ounce) can of fire-roasted tomatoes with juice
1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Garnish:
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:
In a Dutch oven on medium-high heat, add olive oil, ground cinnamon, Hungarian paprika, tomato paste, and dried oregano. Let the spices *bloom and release their oils and flavors.

Next, add diced onion, minced garlic, diced poblano peppers, and crimini mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables soften and release their water. Once the mushrooms have browned, add the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to combine. Add the beef consommé and beef stock, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot; that’s flavor!

Continue cooking, allowing the beef consommé and stock to reduce by half, 7-10 minutes, then add the ground sirloin, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon.

Once the ground sirloin is broken up, add garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking, allowing the meat to release its liquid and start to brown, for another 15 minutes.

Moving forward, add a can of diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and brown sugar. Turn the heat down to medium and stir to combine. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens.

In a large stockpot of boiling salted water, add the Cavatappi (a short corkscrew-shaped pasta). Cook pasta for 10-12 minutes until al dente, then drain well.  Add the pasta to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Turn the heat off.

The last step is to add the cheese. Add the mozzarella cheese and stir to combine.

Garnish with chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley.

Serve hot.

There you have it, my Home-Style Goulash.

Notes:
1) *Bloom: To become more apparent, as in flavor or aroma. Good oil is a base from which delectable flavors bloom.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value matter to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary, depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/