Johnny Marzetti
intro
A hearty, cheesy Midwestern baked pasta casserole loaded with seasoned ground beef, tangy tomato sauce, tender veggies, and melted sharp cheddar, built to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the elbow macaroni
Bring a large pot of 4L (1 gallon) heavily salted water (15g/1 tbsp kosher salt) to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 225g dry elbow macaroni, and cook for 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente recommendation (approximately 7 minutes total), as the pasta will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the pasta and set aside; do not rinse, as residual starch helps the sauce cling to noodles. Reserve up to 60ml (1/4 cup) of starchy pasta water if needed to thin sauce later.
Sauté the vegetable base
Heat 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil in a 30cm (12in) deep skillet over medium heat (stovetop setting 5/10, ~175C/350F). Add 150g diced yellow onion, 120g diced green bell pepper, and 115g sliced cremini mushrooms, cooking for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened and edges are lightly golden. Add 10g minced garlic and 30g tomato paste, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant and the tomato paste deepens to a rich brick red.
Brown the ground beef
Push the sautéed vegetables to the outer edges of the skillet, and add 450g 80/20 ground beef to the empty center of the pan. Break the beef into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, cooking over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until fully browned with no visible pink remaining. Drain off any excess grease if more than 15ml (1 tbsp) remains in the pan, then stir the vegetables and beef together to fully combine.
Simmer the tomato sauce
Stir 800g crushed tomatoes, 15ml (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce, 1g (1 tsp) dried oregano, 9g (1.5 tsp) kosher salt, and 1g (0.5 tsp) ground black pepper into the beef and vegetable mixture. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer (small, steady bubbles breaking at the surface) over medium-low heat, then cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let flavors meld. Stir in reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time if the sauce is too thick, to reach a thick, pourable consistency.
Combine pasta and cheese
Add the drained, slightly undercooked elbow macaroni to the skillet with the sauce, tossing thoroughly over low heat for 2 minutes until every pasta piece is evenly coated in sauce. Fold in 150g (1 1/3 cups) of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, stirring continuously until the cheese fully melts and creates a creamy, cohesive mixture.
Bake the casserole
Preheat your oven to 190C/375F while the sauce simmers to save time. Transfer the pasta and sauce mixture to a 23cm x 33cm (9x13in) glass baking dish, spreading it into a smooth, even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 75g (2/3 cup) shredded cheddar cheese evenly across the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered on the middle oven rack for 20 minutes, until the top cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and golden brown around the dish edges.
Rest and serve
Carefully remove the baked casserole from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to set—this prevents the casserole from being runny and helps portions hold their shape. Scoop into square portions and serve warm.
Tips
2.You can assemble the entire unbaked casserole up to 24 hours in advance, stored tightly covered in the refrigerator. Add 5 minutes to the bake time if cooking straight from the fridge to ensure it heats all the way through.
3.For a more complex cheese flavor and stretchy top, swap 75g of the sharp cheddar for low-moisture shredded mozzarella, or add a 1g (1/4 tsp) pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for subtle, warm heat.
OMG this is exactly the Johnny Marzetti my grandma used to make for Sunday dinners! I’ve been chasing that flavor for 10 years since she passed and this recipe nailed it. The ratio of pasta to meat sauce to cheese is perfect, no dry spots at all. My kids went back for seconds before I even sat down to eat!
Brought this to my neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were asking me for the recipe before I even set the dish down! I added a little extra green bell pepper like my mom does and it was chef’s kiss. Feeds a huge crowd for barely any money, which is my favorite kind of potluck dish.
SO good, even when I accidentally used elbow macaroni instead of rotini because that’s what I had in the pantry. Only reason it’s not 5 stars is I wish it had a little more garlic for my taste, but that’s an easy fix next time. Already have the leftovers packed for lunch tomorrow!
I’ve been making Johnny Marzetti for 60 years and I have to say, this version is just as good as my original! I love that it’s easy enough for my teen grandson to follow when he’s helping me cook on Sundays. We swapped the ground beef for half Italian sausage this last time and wow, what a tasty upgrade.
Game changer for my dorm meal prep! I can make one big pan on Sunday and eat it for dinner all week for like $10 total. No fancy ingredients, no weird steps, even I can’t mess this up. My roommate kept stealing bites so I had to hide the last portion in the back of the fridge lmao.
Added this to my weekly meal prep rotation and it’s a new household favorite! It freezes so well too — I cut it into individual portions, wrap them up, and pull one out on busy weeknights when I don’t have time to cook. 10/10, no notes.
First casserole I’ve ever made that didn’t come out burnt or totally bland! My wife was shocked. Followed the recipe exactly except I used sharp cheddar instead of mild because that’s what we had, and it was incredible. 10/10 will be making this every other week from now on.
As someone who grew up 20 minutes outside of Columbus where Johnny Marzetti was invented, I can confirm this is the real deal. None of that weird fancy version with artisanal cheese or weird veggies people try to pass off these days. This is the straight up, cafeteria/grandma’s house/potluck classic I grew up on.
Made this with plant-based ground, dairy-free cheese, and whole wheat pasta for my family that’s half vegan half omnivore and even my meat-loving husband said it was delicious! Only knocked a star because the dairy-free cheese didn’t brown quite as nice as regular, but that’s not the recipe’s fault.
Made this for our college football watch party last Saturday and it was the first dish empty on the snack table! Served it with some garlic bread on the side and everyone was raving. Way easier than making a bunch of different appetizers, it’s hearty enough to be a whole meal while everyone yells at the TV.
My kids are the pickiest eaters on the planet, usually turn their nose up at anything with sauce or veggies, and they ate THREE servings of this last night! I diced the onion and bell pepper super fine so they couldn’t pick them out and they didn’t even notice. Win for mom!!
Super easy recipe, came out great overall! I think next time I’ll undercook the pasta by a minute or two before baking because mine got a little softer than I like by the time it was done in the oven. Flavor was spot on though, will definitely make again.
I’ve been making this recipe for my bridge club for years and I tried this version last week, everyone said it was the best batch I’ve ever made! I added a can of drained mushrooms to half the pan for the people who like them, left the other half classic, and everyone was happy.
Worked 3 12-hour shifts this week and threw this together when I got home last night in between loads of laundry. Took 10 minutes to prep, popped it in the oven, and I could fold clothes while it cooked. Tasted like I spent hours in the kitchen, no one believed me when I said it was so easy.
Love collecting vintage midwestern casserole recipes and this one is a new staple! It’s wild how something with such simple ingredients can taste so good. Served it with a side of buttered green beans and it was the perfect retro Sunday supper.
Made this for my crew on the job site last week, heated it up on the portable generator and we ate it straight out of the pan with paper plates. Filled up 6 big guys after a long day of framing, no complaints at all. Solid recipe, no frills, just good food.
I just got married last month and I’m still learning how to cook for my husband without burning everything, and this was the first meal I made that he said was “as good as his mom’s”!!! That’s the highest possible praise I could get. Thank you for making the steps so easy to follow, I didn’t mess up a single thing.