American Goulash

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound elbow pasta

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 onion (sliced)

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 28 ounces diced tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

• extra-virgin olive oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a large pot with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook elbow pasta according to package instructions.

2. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Move meat to one side of the pan and add the onion to the open side. Season with salt. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to the pan. Mix the beef, onion and garlic together. Add the tomato paste and canned tomatoes and stir to combine. Add chili flakes to taste.

3. Drain the cooked pasta and add to pan with meat and tomato sauce. Add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water to the pan to help season the sauce. Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately.