Ingredients for two people

I used pork in this, but it can be made with most meats just to list the most popular:  chicken, beef, lamb or turkey.

• 400g pork diced
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 small chili pepper
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 generous tbsp of paprika powder
• 1 level tsp of caraway seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 200 ml water
• 1 heaped teaspoon of salt, then adjust to taste
• ground black pepper

optional: 1-2 slices of streaky smoked bacon or lardons to start off the dish off

For the pasta:

• Egg pasta (dried or fresh)
• pan of salted water for cooking the pasta

How to make:

1. Heat some oil in a pan till nearly smoking fry the diced  pork meat in batches if needed. Set aside.
2. If using the bacon, start with melting the fat out on a low heat and proceed to the next step
3. In a clean pan (or one with the melted bacon if using) add two tablespoons of sunflower oil, gently fry the onion and garlic until softened.  Add the sealed pork, sprinkle with the paprika powder and stir so it’s coated well.  Make sure the heat is not too high at this stage, even pull it off the heat temporarily, the paprika can easily burn and brown, resulting in a less favoured bitter tang.
4. Pour in 200 ml water or stock and add the remaining ingredients, the chopped bell peppers, chili peppers and tomatoes, the caraway seeds, 2 bay leaves and the salt. Cover and cook it on a slow simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile prepare the pasta.  Cook  in salted water, follow the instruction on the packet.
6. Serve the meat stew over the strained pasta, and finally scatter the roughly chopped parsley on.
7. For a creamier dish add some sour cream to the stew just before serving.  Enjoy!

Update – and here is how the Pro-s make it! This chicken version is made by my Mum with the cooling garlicky-sweet Hungarian cucumber salad at my Easter visit to Hungary.