Rich, meaty tomato sauce generously coats the pasta in this hearty Crockpot Goulash. The fix-it & forget it meat sauce is yummy and super simple to make!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Crockpot, crockpot pasta, goulash, pasta recipes
Prep Time 12 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 3 hourshours12 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings
Calories 625kcal
Author Kathleen
Ingredients
2poundsground beef80/20
1large onionchopped
4large clovesgarlicminced
1cupwater
3(15-ounce) canstomato sauce
2(14.5-ounce) canscanned petite diced tomatoesjuice included
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef (2 pounds) over medium-high heat, crumbling with as it cooks, until browned on both sides (It doesn't have to be cooked all the way through). Remove excess oil.
Add onion (1) and garlic (4) to the beef and cook until the onions are translucent about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large crockpot.
Add the water (1 cup), tomato sauce (3 (15-ounce) cans), petite diced tomatoes with their juice (2 (14.5-ounce) cans), soy sauce (2 tablespoons), Worcestershire sauce (2 teaspoons), sugar (¼ teaspoon), salt (2 teaspoons), pepper (½ teaspoon), Italian seasoning (2 tablespoons), Bay leaves (3) and stir. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours. After the goulash has cooked, remove bay leaves.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta (2 cups) in well-salted water, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain well then stir into crockpot. Add reserved pasta water 1/2 cup at a time to thin the sauce slightly. Only add more pasta water if consistency needs adjusting. Sprinkle cheese over top and serve.
Notes
Pasta- I use elbow macaroni, but you can use any type of short-cut pasta you like. I like to use pasta that has twists or bends in it, so it can hold on to the delicious sauce and really pack in the flavor with every bite!
Cheese- Let's level up this and makecrockpot goulash with cheese!I love cheddar cheese with pasta and tomato-based sauces. You can use any type of cheese that you like. Mozzarella, Parmesan, or any Italian blend of cheeses would work well too! Just know that hard cheeses like Parmesan will take a little longer to melt.
Beef- I suggest pouring the meat onto several layers of paper towels after you have drained the majority of the grease out of the pan. Pat the meat dry with another paper towel before adding putting it back in the skillet to cook with the onion and garlic.
Drain the beef- I suggest pouring the meat onto several layers of paper towels after you have drained the majority of the grease out of the pan. Pat the meat dry with another paper towel before adding putting it back in the skillet to cook with the onion and garlic.
Cooking the Pasta-Make sure you use plenty of salty water to cook your pasta. It makes a huge difference in the texture and taste of the pasta. Also, make sure you reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta water. The extra starch and salt in the water add flavor, thicken, and help bind the pasta to the sauce!
To bay or not to bay - Bay leaves are an age-old culinary debate. I'm a bay leaf fan and think they do add to sauces and soups. It's a background, foundation flavor. It's not flashy or overpowering, which is why I call for 3 in this recipe. If you're not a fan or don't have any, your dish won't be wrecked without them, but I feel they definitely add depth to the sauce.