American Goulash - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water (or as needed to ensure pasta gets cooked properly)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 bay leaf
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Preparation

In a large pot or skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until browned, using your spoon to break it down into smaller pieces.
Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
Pour in pasta, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano and basil, and stir together.
Lower heat and let simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until pasta is al dente and sauce has reduced and water has evaporated.
Remove bay leaf, (optional: stir in heavy cream,) season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.