By Clark 
The home of Johnny Marzetti casserole is located in the middle of a heart-shaped state that forms the eastern border of the heartland. Anything more Midwestern would be a stretch.
As with many others in Ohio, my best friend’s family used the nickname “Marzetti” to describe this dish when I was a kid. This dish, which is packed with ground beef and creamy macaroni with tomato sauce, is perfect for feeding a large group and has been their go-to for many church dinners and potlucks.
The recipe’s history, which is intriguingly convoluted, has captivated me as an adult. Why was this guy’s name associated with this dish, which is basically just a simplified version of lasagna? Why, though, has the popularity of this simple dish persisted for more than a hundred years?
Nobody But Johnny Marzetti Invented Marzetti, Johnny
There is no historical evidence to support the commonly held belief about where Johnny Marzetti casserole originated. Even though I keep coming back to this subject, my personal research into internet databases has not revealed any new information.
People devour the tale with the same eagerness that they devour the casserole. The essence is this: For many years, the Marzetti’s restaurant in downtown Columbus, Ohio was an iconic landmark. Teresa Marzetti, the proprietor, named the dish after her brother-in-law in honor of the thrifty students at neighboring Ohio State University who were able to whip up the filling and inexpensive pasta bake.
The Marzetti family has never confirmed the tale, and no vintage menu from Marzetti’s that features the casserole has been found. If you’re familiar with the Marzetti name but not necessarily with casseroles, it’s probably because the family started a bottled dressing company in 1950, which is still in business today. Nevertheless, the final Marzetti’s eatery shut down in the 1970s, giving plenty of time for a mythological origin story loaded with nostalgia to develop.
A Multi-Cousin Casserole
No matter how you feel about Johnny Marzetti’s restaurant, he has truly made his mark in people’s kitchens and in institutional dining halls. Midwestern community cookbooks are connected like a game of connect the dots thanks to the dozens of copies of printed recipes that have appeared since 1916.
Goulash, American chop suey, slumgullion, and the hamburger and macaroni from Simply Recipes are all close relatives of Johnny Marzetti’s beef-and-pasta. The Johnny Marzetti is unique among these freeform skillet dishes because it is marbled and baked with cheese on top (often mild orange cheddar). This makes it better for pre-planning a large assembly than for impromptu assembly. Let the family reunion begin!
Changes & Variations by Johnny Marzetti
Even if my Marzetti is different from yours, that’s alright. Both passionate opinions and personalization work well with it. Show me yours!
My bet is that Johnny Marzetti prefers macaroni to any other type of pasta. Although egg noodles are also commonly used, the sauce and beef are better held together with macaroni. Using penne would transform it from Marzetti to something inspired by Marzetti, though I believe it’s possible.
I don’t understand why this casserole, which seems to have come from an Italian restaurant, calls for cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella. Try the cheddar, but don’t judge me. You can put your faith in me; it is effective. Opt for a gentle or a bright orange or white. You can use a combination of several kinds of shredded semi-firm cheese if you like. For extra flavor, I like to sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top of mine.
Meat: When all you have on hand is ground beef, it’s great to have a dish alternative. In certain dishes, Italian sausage is specified. This is the first time I’ve ever had it this way, and it tastes too much like baked ziti to me. Bake some ziti if that’s what you desire.
For those who prefer their veggies without peppers or mushrooms, this dish is perfect. Even though I would have disagreed as a 10-year-old, I now really enjoy the mushroom flavor.
Spices and herbs: Marzetti doesn’t have to be bland, despite the stereotype that casseroles from the Midwest are bland. But there need to be no Italian seasoning bomb in the meaty tomato sauce. If you want to add a little heat, use ground spices like cayenne or chili powder, but use the herbs lightly.
What You Need:
- 12 ounces of cleaned, chopped or sliced mushrooms
- Using neutral cooking oil or 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 sliced large onion
- Minced garlic, five cloves
- 1 coarsely sliced bell pepper (of any color), without seeds or core
- (Add salt to taste)
- 1.5 lbs. of lean ground beef, ideally a 90:10 ratio
- 1 entire plum tomato can (28 oz.) with juice
- Tomato paste, 3 teaspoons
- Dry oregano, 3/4 teaspoon
- 1/4 teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
- Pepper that has just been ground
- Elbow macaroni, uncooked, 12 oz (2 3/4 cups)
- Eight ounces of grated cheddar cheese (two large cups), split
- Four and a half ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, split
Method
Set the oven temperature to 350°F.
Preheat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
Brown the meat and veggies:
The temperature of a big, deep skillet should be set to medium-high. Toss in the mushrooms with the drained skillet. The mushrooms will steam off some of their moisture as they cook. In around 5 to 8 minutes, while stirring regularly, they should be soft, with a little browning, and most of the liquid drained. Reserve the mushrooms after scraping them into a bowl.
After cleaning, put the skillet back on the stove. Swirl in the oil, then toss in the onion and sauté for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until softened. After adding the bell pepper and garlic, simmer for another minute. Add a large amount of salt.
Lower the heat to medium, add the beef, and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any large clumps of meat. After 8 minutes, or when the beef loses its pink color, remove from heat.
Combine the tomatoes with the seasoning:
Put on your apron and crush the tomatoes into the pan by hand. Then, pour in the rest of the can’s liquids.
Bring to a simmer and add the tomato paste, oregano, pepper flakes, and black pepper; cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until sauce forms. Simmer, adding the saved mushrooms, for another 2 minutes. Adjust the saltiness according to your taste.
During this time, bring the pasta to a boil:
Get a big pot of salted water boiling while the sauce is cooking. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, then add it. Eliminate waste.
Put together the casserole.
Put the cooked sauce back into the saucepan with the pasta and stir to combine. After combining half of the cheeses, pour mixture into the prepared dish. Finish by topping with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Bake:
It should take around 30 minutes in the oven for the sauce to bubble and the cheese to softly brown. Ten minutes should pass before you can enjoy it.
Tightly covered, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. Freezing the baked dish is a breeze. If you want to save some for later, you can freeze the full casserole.