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.

1. 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.
2. spaghetti sauce – I used a simple spaghetti sauce from Aldi. Less than a dollar for the jar.
3. dry red wine – Doesn’t need to be expensive. Or use beef broth for a deeper flavor.
4. onions
5. elbow macaroni – Aldi has 3 pound boxes for less than $1.50
6. shredded cheddar cheese
7. Spices: Dried oregano and Italian seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste
8. 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:

1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Brown the ground beef in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Drain and remove from pan. Set aside.
3. 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.
4. Add the cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce, and red wine to the onions. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Add the pasta and shredded cheddar cheese to the pot. Stir to combine.
6. 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.

Printable Recipe

Stay kind!

Have a magical day,
Traci