During the winter, particularly after the holidays, I'll wax nostalgic and pull out my old recipe
box from the '70s. This is a box full of tattered and stained recipe cards
featuring recipes for the first dishes I made when I initially set up
housekeeping. These simple recipes are all about ease and comfort. The recipe
I'm sharing with you today is one that is simple to put together, family and
kid friendly, and reheats beautifully. Back in the day it was also a very
economic meal because ground beef wasn't selling for seven dollars a pound. We
always called it "Scroodles," taking the name from the spiral shape
of the pasta. Originally, I believe, I got this recipe off of the back of a
box of fusili. You can call it anything you like, I just call it tasty.
Scroodles
1 T. olive oil
8 oz. package button mushrooms
Sprinkling of steak seasoning
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 pound ground chuck
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 cups beef stock
8 ounces spiral pasta
1/2 cup sour cream
Fresh parsley or fresh dill to garnish
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10"-12" skillet. Add mushrooms
and steak seasoning, and cook until they begin to soften. Add onion and cook
until, both vegetables are nicely tender. Stir in garlic and cook for one
minute more. Crumble the ground beef over the vegetables, and continue to cook,
breaking up the beef with a spoon as it cooks, until it is browned and cooked
through. Sprinkle paprika over all, and stir to combine. Add the beef broth and
curly pasta of your choice, and bring to a light boil. Cover and cook, stirring
often, until the pasta is al dente, 17-20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat
and stir in the sour cream. Serve in pasta bowls, and garnish with fresh dill or
parsley.
