ground beef

Goulash – The remainder meal!

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Goulash – The remainder meal!

Sometimes we have a remainder meal. What is that you ask? Well it is a meal using the remaining ingredients of all of the other cooks. Throw the ingredients in a pot and serve. Goulash is my perfect remainder meal. For this meal we had a bunch of remainders lying around. We had 1/4 box of rigatoni and a 1/4 box of penne lying around from various pasta recipes. We had a couple of cloves of garlic left from the Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi post. Plus a can of tomatoes lying around from our various different spaghetti sauce concoctions. Throw it all together and you get goulash. This works with any pasta, any ground meat and whatever seasonings you have lying around. While my concoction has these exact ingredients, feel free to play around with it.

Goulash

Goulash

In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the beef over medium/high heat. Once browned drain the fat.

Brown the meat

Add the onions and garlic and cook till the onions are translucent. Roughly 10 minutes.

Add the onions

Add in the remaining ingredients minus the pasta. Stir and cover. Stiring every 5 minutes or so. Cook for 25 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients

Add the pasta and cook till tender. Roughly 25-30 minutes.

The perfect mix of ingredients

If you find that there is not enough liquid add a 1/2 cup of water when adding the pasta.

Add the pasta

Remove from the heat, remove bay leaf and serve.

Goulash

This meal is delicious and easy to make with whatever you have lying around. Feel free to swap out the ground meat, add a vegetable, use tomato sauce or even switch up the seasoning with whatever you have lying around.

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Goulash - The remainder meal!
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: General
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
The perfect meal for all of your leftover ingredients!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cups water
  • 1 28oz can whole tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tsp seasoned salt, or to taste
  • 8 oz uncooked pasta (chef's choice)
Instructions
  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the beef over medium/high heat. Once browned drain the fat.
  2. Add the onions and garlic and cook till the onions are translucent. Roughly 10 minutes.
  3. Add in the remaining ingredients minus the pasta. Stir and cover. Stiring every 5 minutes or so. Cook for 25 minutes.
  4. Add the pasta and cook till tender. Roughly 25-30 minutes.
  5. If you find that there is not enough liquid add a ½ cup of water when adding the pasta.
  6. Remove from the heat, remove bay leaf and serve.

 

Quick Ragu Pasta

Rex Italian , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Quick Ragu Pasta

Quick Ragu Pasta

I know that when the average foodie hears the like of Rachel Ray they cringe, but I just tried a take on one of her recipes and it was pretty darn good.  As a man that likes to eat I will try just about anything once.  Granted I have tried a couple of her recipes and had less than great results. However, this one hit the nail on the head.  Her Christmas Pasta recipe is great.  I modified it a bit to help with standard shopping ingredients and sizes, but for the most part left it as-is.  The pancetta to start if off adds some great flavors.  Plus this recipe makes a ton of sauce and then allows you to cook only the pasta necessary for each meal.  Only two of you, make 1/2 lb of pasta and you are good to go.  Want some leftovers for lunch, boil some fresh pasta and toss it with some leftover sauce.  There is nothing like fresh pasta to make leftovers not taste like leftovers. I also changed the name as it is more of a Ragu than anything.

Quick Ragu Pasta

Heat a dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat.

Brown the garlic and pancetta

Add oil, bay, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Make sure to stir frequently so the garlic does not burn.

Add the meat

Add meats and brown.  Using a wooden spoon crumble and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Add the veg

Add the carrots, celery, and onions to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes.

Veggie time spectacular

Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.

Sauce it up

Add stock and tomatoes to the pot.

Spice it up

Stir in parsley, allspice and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

The perfect sauce

Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving.

The Pasta

Cook as much of the pasta as needed. Toss the pasta with a couple of ladles of sauce.

Toss it up

Finish the pasta off with some freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.

The perfect meal

 

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Quick Ragu Pasta
Author: 
Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: Ragu
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10
 
A quick Ragu Pasta based on Rachel Ray's Christmas Pasta. Boil as much pasta as needed and toss in the sauce. Save the sauce in the fridge and heat as needed. This is the perfect pasta for a whole week full of meals.
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
  • ¼ pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
  • 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
  • 1 pound meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork and veal)
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Cabernet Savignon
  • 14oz can beef broth
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tbs flat leaf parsley leaves
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 boxes penne
  • Grated Pecorino Romano
Instructions
  1. Heat a dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat. Add oil, bay, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Make sure to stir frequently so the garlic does not burn..
  2. Add meats and brown. Using a wooden spoon crumble and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots, celery, and onions to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add stock and tomatoes to the pot.
  6. Stir in parsley, allspice and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
  7. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving.
  8. Cook as much of the pasta as needed. Toss the pasta with a couple of ladles of sauce.
  9. Finish the pasta off with some freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray's Christmas Pasta - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/christmas-pasta-recipe/index.html

Nobody was more surprised than me by how easy and delicious this recipe actually was.

Quick Ragu

You have to try this out!