Mom's Goulash

By AllyBees

I grew up despising goulash, but this recipe doesn't really live up to the negative connotations. In fact, it's pretty good!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground sirloin (or ground turkey)
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 lb. tube pasta, such as penne
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.

Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium heat, crumbling it up as it cooks. Drain off the excess fat, if necessary. When the meat is no longer pink, stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, basil, oregano, and salt to taste. Stir in the water. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente. Drain well and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, and egg. Mix well to blend. Stir in the green onions.

To assemble, spread a very thin layer of the sauce mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the pasta. Spread half of the sour cream mixture over the pasta, then top with half of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers with the remaining pasta, sour cream mixture and sauce. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.