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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!”
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
YUM...I will definitely try this....I love pasta!
ReplyDeleteOh, that looks so good! I love meals that are made to have leftovers. I never thought about adding Italian to a description always makes it sound really good, but it does.
ReplyDeleteGoulash is one of hubby's favorite dishes, and I've made it countless times over the years but never taken it to this level. The addition of spinach and the final cheese-melting bake is what would take it over the top for me.
ReplyDeleteha ha, you're right, if the word Italian is associated with a recipe it's an instant winner! Your glop looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteJenna