One of my mom’s favorite meals was Johnny Marzetti. When I was Googling the history of the name of Johnny Marzetti, I noticed a lot of the recipes bake it. The difference with my recipe is that I don’t. My recipe is more of an American goulash.
It was named after a restaurant in Columbus that shut down in 1972 when the owner died.
When I made it this week, I modernized or added some depth to the spaghetti sauce that I used in the dish. I added a splash of dry red wine while the sauce was simmering. So delicious!
It’s a simple pantry item dish. Here’s what you need to make the dish.
- ground beef – I know the price for ground beef has increased. I get the frozen ground beef at this current time because it is cheaper.
- spaghetti sauce – I used a simple spaghetti sauce from Aldi. Less than a dollar for the jar.
- dry red wine – Doesn’t need to be expensive. Or use beef broth for a deeper flavor.
- onions
- elbow macaroni – Aldi has 3 pound boxes for less than $1.50
- shredded cheddar cheese
- Spices: Dried oregano and Italian seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste
- optional: mushrooms and green peppers
Johnny Marzetti
Stars of the recipe:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped or 1/2 of a medium or large onion, chopped
- 1 (24 to 26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
- 2 Tbsp. dry red wine or beef broth
- 1 lb or 2 c. dry elbow macaroni
- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- Optional: 1/4 c. white or Bella mushroom, chopped
- Optional: 1/2 green pepper chopped
Steps:
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to directions. Drain and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Drain and remove from pan. Set aside.
- Add the onions, mushroom (if using), and green pepper (if using) to the pan. Add some oil to the pan if needed. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce, and red wine to the onions. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta and shredded cheddar cheese to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Enjoy with garlic bread and a salad.
You can leave the wine out if don’t want to use wine. I just used it to add some depth to the dish.
Stay kind!