Johnny Marzetti
According to the Ohio Historical Society, the recipe was developed in Columbus, Ohio, by Teresa Marzetti of Marzetti salad dressings. Teresa Marzetti immigrated to the United States from Florence, Italy in 1896 and opened an Italian restaurant downtown, near Ohio State University. The restaurant closed in 1942. As the story goes, Johnny Marzetti, named after Teresa's brother-in-law, was a hearty dish created to satisfy hungry students on a budget and was sold for 45 cents.
The popular dish became a hit in Ohio, spreading throughout the Midwest and eventually making its way onto public school cafeteria menus. The original baked casserole recipe combined noodles, ground beef, tomato sauce and cheese. There have been many variations shared over the years. Other renditions add chopped garlic, Italian seasonings, oregano and parsley. A few substitute cream of mushroom and tomato soups, and another layers the noodles and ground beef sauce - a little sauce, noodles, cheese, rest of the sauce and when almost done, top it with cheese and melt it. As with most casseroles, add whatever suits your fancy.
Johnny Marzetti
from https://www.thekitchn.com/
The first time I was introduced to Johnny Marzetti was a few years back, after my mom stumbled across a recipe titled “Johnny M” in an old Iowa church cookbook from 1957. It was made with ground pork and used a can of condensed tomato soup to create the sauce.
I updated this version to use Italian sausage and swapped tomato sauce for the condensed soup. You really can’t go wrong with a classic American comfort food dish like this. It’s a warm, cheesy, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that feels like something your grandma used to make.
Cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) bag dried egg noodles
1 green bell pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausage, removed from casings
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 12 ounces dried egg noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, chop 1 green bell pepper. Chop 1/2 medium yellow onion.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound Italian sausage and cook, breaking the meat up into pieces, until the pink starts to disappear, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped bell pepper, the onion, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. While the sausage mixture cooks, shred the cheese.
Shred 8 ounces cheddar cheese (about 2 cups) on the large holes of a box grater.
Add 1 can tomato sauce and 1/4 cup water to the sausage mixture and stir to combine. Cook until bubbly and heated through, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the cooked noodles and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to coat the noodles. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly on the edges, about 25 minutes.
RECIPE NOTES
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serves 6 to 8
The Original Johnny Marzetti
from https://www.sun-sentinel.com/
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/2 pounds cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a large saute pan over medium heat, heat oil and sauté onion until limp, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring, breaking up clumps, until cooked through.
2. Remove from heat and add tomato sauce and all but 1 cup of cheese.
3. Transfer to greased 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish and add macaroni, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss gently to combine. Scatter remaining cheese on top.
4. Bake uncovered, until browned and bubbling, about 35 to 40 minutes
Makes 12 servings
