Description
Johnny Marzetti is a classic Midwestern comfort food casserole featuring a hearty blend of ground beef, Italian sausage, savory mushrooms, bell pepper, and onions mixed with pasta and a flavorful tomato sauce, all topped with a generous layer of melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese. This baked dish is perfect for family dinners and reheats beautifully for leftovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 10 ounces elbow macaroni, or egg noodles
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ½ pound ground beef
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Sauces
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly spray a large 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until al dente, which will be about 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the diced white onion and green bell pepper, cooking for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Cook the Meats: Add the Italian sausage and ground beef to the skillet with the vegetables. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks through until no longer pink in the center.
- Add Mushrooms and Seasonings: Stir in sliced crimini mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Then add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
- Simmer Sauce and Meat: Pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stirring well. Allow the sauce and meat mixture to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently to blend flavors.
- Combine Pasta and Cheese: Stir the cooked pasta into the skillet, then add half of the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Remove the skillet from heat and gently fold the cheese into the pasta and sauce mixture until melted and creamy.
- Assemble the Casserole: Transfer the pasta and meat mixture to the prepared casserole dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden around the edges.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Optionally, garnish with freshly minced parsley for added color and freshness.
Notes
- Leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Use Italian sausage with or without casings as preferred.
- For a milder dish, omit the red chili flakes.
- Pasta can be substituted with egg noodles or other short pasta shapes.
- Adding fresh parsley as garnish brightens the flavor and presentation but is optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
