Nov 8, 2011

Johnny Marzetti

The bygone restaurant Marzetti's in Columbus, Ohio, invented this cheesy noodle casserole. This recipe first appeared in our December 2011 issue along with the special feature Italian America.

Credit: Todd Coleman

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

10 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
8 oz. white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½lb. ground beef
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
10 oz. wide egg noodles
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
3 oz. mozzarella, shredded
3 tbsp. bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions; cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Return skillet to heat with 3 tbsp. oil; add mushrooms; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add to bowl with onions; return skillet to heat with 2 tbsp. oil. Add beef; cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Return onions and mushrooms to skillet along with oregano and tomatoes; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley; let sauce cool.

2. Heat oven to 325°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, and add noodles; cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and toss with butter in a bowl; set aside. Spread 2 cups sauce on bottom of a 9″ × 13″ baking dish; cover with noodles. Spread ⅔ cheddar over noodles; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheddar, mozzarella, and breadcrumbs over sauce; drizzle with remaining oil. Bake until browned on top, about 25 minutes.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #143

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Ratings & Reviews (10)

by INOXYDABLE on 2011-12-26

Are you kidding? They invented this? Oh please, it's just a meat and cheese noodle casserole...boring!

by Einerson on 2012-01-22

But it is a pretty good version of a meat and cheese noddle casserole!!! Not every meal has to be "gourmet"!!! Amount of oil is a bit high-I used maybe a max of 2-3 Tbs. One for the onions, less for the mushrooms and then a light drizzle for the breadcrumbs. I did cut the recipe in half but used a full pound of ground beef. The egg noodles I choose were an egg pappardelle, so very tender, almost like a fresh pasta.

by PATTIPECHAN on 2012-02-22

I loved this!! It was so easy to make and sooo delicious! I didn't have any egg noodles, so I used what I had, which was small shells. It still turned out really good. I will definitely be making this again!

by rnelson on 2012-06-13

Solid and very tasty. easy to make, safe ingredients, done well. yummy.

by BELLINI82 on 2012-09-20

I love this (slightly more upscale) version of the down-home Ohio classic, Johnny Marzetti. I took Einerson's suggestions of significantly cutting down on the oil, and it was just right. I'm thinking 10 tbsp. olive oil called for must be a misprint! Cut it way back and it's wonderful - a lovely retro casserole with real whole ingredients (no cans of soup or processed cheese like I've seen in other recipes!), perfect Ohio comfort food for a wintery night! This casserole freezes well, if you like to prepare meals in advance.

Make sure your ground beef is at room temperature so it browns well! Browning ground beef straight from the fridge results in the ground beef boiling in its own juices.

by sandyf on 2012-10-08

Very good as written, but it goes to 5 stars if the ground beef is replaced by hot Italian sausage.

by jacqdiaz on 2012-10-11

Very satisfying. It took me about an hour from beginning to end. I did not drain the ground beef after it browned and this might have been the reason for the final dish being a bit oily. I personally think that the amount of olive oil asked for in the recipe is ok. Just drain the beef after cooking it and you should be fine.

by jacqdiaz on 2012-10-11

Sorry, it took me an hour and a half from beginning to end.

by CMAN on 2012-10-13

ALWAYS drain your ground beef. I like to put it on three layers of paper towels to rest.

by COOKINGCUTIE11 on 2013-03-30

This was pretty decent, though definitely not the most refined recipe I've ever made. I followed the advice of other reviewers and cut down a lot on the oil, and drained/blotted my meat after browning. I used a can of crushed tomatoes, and I was afraid the finished pasta was going to be a bit dry because I felt like I didn't have enough sauce. If I make this again, I'd probably add 15 oz or so of tomato sauce or puree and thin it out with a little pasta water. The finished dish had plenty of flavor from the meat and the herbs. I was tempted to add some sausage as well, since it's already a not diet-friendly dish. Overall, it was good, hearty, and great for make ahead (I assembled the dish one day and baked it the next).

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