There was a time, after my first kiddo was born, that Food Network was on my television almost 24/7. I was fascinated and trying to learn as much as possible. On more than one occasion I saw Paula and her son make a goulash that sounded so good but it was a huge recipe and at that point I was not confident enough to try to half a recipe. I mean, dividing everything by 2 sure is hard work. ;)

I came across that very recipe this past weekend while browsing around Paula’s website and was so excited to give it a try. I divided everything in half as I originally wanted to do and switched ground turkey out for the ground beef, which I’m sure violates some goulash law.

This is seriously my new favorite meal. I’m not sure why I liked it so much since it’s basically just pasta with red sauce, but I really loved it. I’ve even been working on the leftovers which isn’t something I normally do.

Turkey Goulash
adapted from Paula Deen

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or small shells

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute turkey, onion, and garlic until turkey is cooked through and onion is soft. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add pasta, stir well, cover & let cook for 20 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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