Broke-Ass Recipes: Johnny Marzetti

By James Conrad.

The rich, creamy comfort casserole á la Johnny Marzetti was invented in 1896 by Teresa Marzetti, an Italian-born cook and restaurant co-owner then living in Columbus, Ohio, who named the dish after her brother-in-law. Before long, it became the flagship dish of the Marzettis’ namesake restaurant, and by the 1920s its popularity had spread across the Midwestern United States and even as far away as Panama.

In 2003, Johnny Marzetti was even featured in an episode of Gilmore Girls.

It’s no surprise that Johnny Marzetti became so popular, so quickly. In addition to being hearty and flavorful, the dish is incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients and Prep

First, chop and dice two bell peppers and set them aside, then heat a pot of water big enough to prepare a 14-ounce box of family size macaroni and cheese.

In a separate saucepan, preferably one that is wide and shallow, brown one pound of extra lean ground beef and mice it finely. Be careful not to let the beef stick to the pan. Season beef to taste with garlic, onion and Old Bay Seasoning, which contains black and red pepper, paprika and celery seed. Next, add the diced peppers and fifteen ounces of tomato sauce. You might do well to add a little extra onion and garlic, but it’s up to you. Mix everything together, reducing heat to a simmer.

When the water in the other pot comes to a boil, add the noodles from the aforementioned macaroni and cheese kit and let them cook for about five to seven minutes or until al dente. Drain the noodles and carefully add them to the saucepan with the meat sauce and bell peppers. Next, stir in the cheese sauce, along with a generous amount of a shredded quattro formaggi blend consisting of Parmesan, provolone, asiago and fontina cheeses. Stir until mixed on simmer, remove from heat and let it stand to allow the sauce to thicken.

Like any casserole, this will end up tasting even better after it’s sat overnight in the fridge for a day. The paprika also makes it palatable when eaten cold.

Tally up the numbers

And now to tally the cost. The jar of tomato sauce cost me two bucks at Trader Joe’s. For about two dollars at Target, I found an own-brand box of macaroni and cheese. The pound of extra lean ground beef, which I like to use in soups and casseroles to avoid a heavy fatty taste (and to be mindful of circulatory health) comes to about $7.50. Two green bell peppers, roughly $2.50. About $5.50 will get you a bag of quattro formaggi at Trader Joe’s. Old Bay Seasoning, which is very handy to have in any kitchen as it saves time and space, costs about six dollars for a six-ounce jar. If you want some minced onion and garlic to add, that’ll be another three bucks at Target for both.

All in all, I spent $28.50.

As this dish is hearty and filling, I expect that this recipe could easily serve six to eight people – possibly more. Therefore, the cost of each serving lands somewhere in the ballpark of three to five dollars. If you are living alone, this recipe could yield enough casserole to last you about two days.