Slumgullion

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef *see note
1 large sweet onion chopped
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 large can diced tomatoes or 2 fifteen oz cans diced tomatoes, or 2 lbs fresh tomatoes, or 2 lbs frozen tomatoes defrosted and chopped (I defrost them and toss them in the food processor)
Kosher salt and pepper **see note

Instructions

Cook the elbow macaroni in a stock pot until al dente, drain, and set aside. In the same pot, brown the ground beef with the onions and season with salt and pepper the way you like it. For this dish, I use more pepper than usual. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat. Add the macaroni last and taste again for salt and pepper, adding more if it needs it. That's it!

Notes

NOTES:
*For this dish I use the fattier ground beef. If you must use lean ground beef, you'll need to add some oil of some kind, preferably extra virgin olive oil, but vegetable oil will work, too. Use just enough to give the dish a sheen, probably about 2 tablespoons.

**Upon perusing the intrawebs for how other people make this dish (if at all), I found lots of added seasonings. Feel free to add whatever seasoning you like. I grew up with just salt and heavy pepper for this dish and so that's what I like and how I make it. I've tried other ways after being made to feel lowly about the simplicity of this recipe and they just don't taste right to me. I always come back to my gramma's way....simple, easy, tasty. Let's face it, fancy doesn't always taste good and people who look down their noses at simple food aren't my people anyway so who gives a crap about those opinions.