Italian Glop, I mean Goulash

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Isn’t it funny how if you put the word “Italian” in front of almost anything that makes it seem so much better? Italian food, Italian wine, Italian cheese, Italian men…you get the picture. The reason I mention this is because earlier today a friend called me to ask me what I was having for dinner. It was one of those “clean out the fridge” days wherein I was trying to get rid of little bits of all kinds of things that were taking up space. So my answer, though honest, was not what she’d expected to hear.

“Some kind of glop,” I told her.

She thought for a while and then asked, “Is it Italian glop?”

I thought about this for a while, and said, “Yes, I think it is.”

“Oooh,” she said, enthusiastically. “Sounds good!”

As it turned out, it really was. It was a perfect chilly evening comfort food to enjoy straight from a pasta bowl with a crusty slice of bread. The kids will like this, particularly if, like me, you use mini wheel pasta. I love the various shapes of pastas, so I’m constantly mixing things up where noodles are concerned. 

Italian Glop, I mean Goulash

8 oz. pasta of your choice

1 lb. ground chuck

1 Melissa’s shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ T. Worcestershire sauce

1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes

½ c. diced black olives

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 t. salt

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

One large handful fresh baby spinach*

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta for 3 minutes less than the box directions.  Drain, reserving ¼ c. pasta water.

Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Brown ground chuck, crumbling meat as you do, 6-7 minutes.  Add shallots to pan and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant; drain on paper-towel lined plate, and then return mixture to the pan.

Stir in Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, olives, and parsley; mix until combined.

Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Add spinach and let it wilt down into the sauce. Stir in reserved pasta water.

Fold in cooked pasta and cheddar cheese. Transfer to a casserole dish sprayed with PAM, and bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Enjoy! Freezes beautifully, or keeps easily in the fridge for three days if, like me, you don’t want to cook for a while and are gleeful at seeing leftovers.

*Chop it up if you want to hide it from the kids