Description
Johnny Marzetti Casserole is a classic American comfort food featuring a hearty blend of ground beef, mushrooms, bell peppers, and pasta in a rich tomato sauce, topped with melted cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. This baked casserole is perfect for family dinners, offering a delicious, satisfying meal with layers of savory flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 12 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and chopped or sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), seeded and cored, finely chopped
- Salt, to taste
Protein and Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral cooking oil
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90:10 is good)
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in juice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
Pasta and Cheese
- 12 ounces (2 3/4 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni
- 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese (2 generous cups), divided
- 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 cups), divided
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside for later use.
- Cook the mushrooms: Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat without oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, slightly browned, and most of their liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper: Wipe out the skillet, return to heat, add oil, and when shimmering, add chopped onion. Cook until translucent, approximately 6 minutes. Add garlic and bell pepper and cook for another minute. Season generously with salt.
- Brown the ground beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook while breaking it up with a spoon into small clumps. Cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
- Prepare the tomato sauce: Use your hands to crush the whole plum tomatoes directly into the skillet (wear an apron), making sure to include all juices. Stir in tomato paste, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer the sauce until it thickens and becomes saucy, about 20 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to sauce: Return the reserved mushrooms to the sauce and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until just tender but still firm to the bite (al dente). Drain well.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Return the drained pasta to the pot, add the cooked sauce, and toss well to combine. Stir in half of the grated cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
- Assemble the casserole: Transfer the pasta mixture into the greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the casserole until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese on top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
- Rest and serve: Remove from oven and let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the dish to set and makes serving easier.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers tightly covered for up to 4 days or freeze the baked casserole for longer storage. The casserole can also be frozen before baking and reheated later.
Notes
- Johnny Marzetti pasta casserole with a beefy tomato sauce and cheese remains a beloved comfort dish, enjoyed for over a century.
- Using lean ground beef helps reduce fat content while maintaining flavor and texture.
- Sautéing mushrooms without oil allows them to release their moisture and develop a rich, concentrated flavor.
- Make sure to cook pasta al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven.
- Feel free to adjust the type of cheese to your preference, but cheddar and Parmesan offer traditional flavor and texture balance.
- Freezing the casserole either before or after baking makes this a great make-ahead meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 casserole
- Calories: 407 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 564 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 86 mg
