One-Pot Italian Goulash

When Maddie was born, I started thinking about how fun it would be when she started eating solids and I could make her food. Yeah, well, I’ve got one interesting little baby on my hands. She’s still struggling a bit with eating solids. She’s still trying to figure out this whole chewing thing. Despite my efforts, she has been shaking her head “no” at me when I try to feed her homemade food. What’s the deallllll, yo?!

Obviously, I really have no recollection of what I liked to eat as baby, but I started thinking about things I liked as a kid and I remembered a pasta dish my grandma used to make with macaroni and beef. I don’t know if she had a name for it, but I really wanted to make it. I hit up Google and tried to figure out what it might be called and came up with Goulash.

One-Pot Italian Goulash

Goulash is actually a Hungarian dish typically made with beef and vegetables and there are many variations, but I am calling this Italian Goulash because I used marinara sauce, and well, it just seems Italian! And even better, I made it all in one-pot! That’s right, the beef is cooked in the same pot as the pasta. I’ve become quite fond of one-pot dishes, they are so simple and easier to clean up afterwards!

So what was the verdict when I gave some of this to Maddie? Success! Yup, she seemed to really like this one. I made sure the pasta was nice and tender and it’s not heavy on tomato sauce. I’ll definitely be making this again for my little one! Plus, we obviously liked it too! Yay childhood!

One-Pot Italian Goulash

One-Pot Italian Goulash
Yield: serves 5

One-Pot Italian Goulash

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

This simple and delicious pasta made with ground beef, peppers, diced tomatoes, and sauce cooks all in one-pan for the easiest dinner!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
  • 1 (about 15-ounces) diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. In a deep skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the diced green pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the beef is lightly browned. Add the can of diced tomatoes (liquid included).
  2. Stir in the macaroni, water, and sauce. Lower the heat to medium low and cover. Let the pasta mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes (or until the pasta is tender), stirring every 5 minutes or so). Season with salt if needed. Turn off the heat and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1/5th

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 794mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 31g

One-Pot Italian Goulash