Goulash is a quick, easy, and delicious pasta dish that the whole family will love. For a hearty meal, serve with a salad and garlic or cheese bread on the side.
What is goulash?
Goulash is one of my husband’s childhood favorites. It is a satisfying dish of pasta, ground beef, green peppers, and pasta or marinara sauce. In some parts of New England, similar dishes are called American chop suey. But in our house, we call this goulash and this is the recipe that my husband has loved since childhood.
This dish basically comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta water and cook the pasta. For this recipe, our pasta of choice is elbow pasta. You can really use any shape of pasta you like, but elbow pasta is the tradition in our family.
While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Drain the excess grease. Add diced green pepper and a jar of pasta or marinara sauce. Feel free to add red bell pepper or diced onions if you’d like. Next, season the sauce with a teaspoon or two of sugar. The sugar balances out the acidity in the sauce. You can add more or less sugar based on personal taste or omit it altogether. The pasta will be delicious either way.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the meat sauce. Stir to combine and it’s ready to serve immediately. I like serving with grated parmesan, a green salad, and garlic or cheese bread on the side. Hearty, satisfying, and delicious!
Refrigerate the leftovers – if there are any! Goulash keeps well and can easily be reheated in the microwave or on the stove.
Similar recipes you may also enjoy:
A comforting dish of pasta, ground beef, and green peppers tossed together with pasta sauce.
- 10 ounces elbow pasta
- 1 1/3 pounds ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 24 -26 ounces jarred marinara or pasta sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese for serving
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Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
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Meanwhile, in a large skillet or heavy bottom pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it apart as it cooks. When cooked through, drain the excess grease. Add the diced green pepper and sauce, stirring to combine. Stir in the sugar to taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.
I’m so happy you are trying this recipe. Please leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram at @mycasualpantry.
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