Johnny Marzetti Casserole

A baked casserole dish filled with cheesy, tomato-based macaroni pasta mixed with ground meat and topped with melted cheese, with a wooden spoon and a folded cloth nearby.

Johnny Marzetti Casserole

This Johnny Marzetti Casserole is a classic Midwestern comfort food that's especially popular in Ohio. It's a baked casserole made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, and cheese. In this version, there's no need to boil the pasta first — it cooks right in the oven with everything else, making it easy and saving you extra dishes.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Resting Time10

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner

Keyword: baked pasta casserole, Johnny Marzetti casserole, Johnny Marzetti recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 389kcal

Ingredients

nonstick spray or oil for greasing the baking dish
1 pound ground beef
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced (or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce
2 cups hot water (doesn’t need to be boiling)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in tomato juice undrained
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided

Optional Garnishes:

Freshly-cracked pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or basil

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Brown Beef and Aromatics: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until it's mostly browned (about 4-5 minutes), breaking it up as it cooks. Then add diced onion and garlic. Continue cooking another 3-4 minutes, until beef is fully browned and onions are soft. Spoon out excess grease if needed.
Season Beef: Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 more minute to let seasoning bloom.
Assemble in Baking Dish: Pour cooked beef mixture into prepared baking dish. Add uncooked pasta, pasta sauce, hot water, diced tomatoes (with juices), and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Stir Everything Together: Stir well until everything is evenly mixed and pasta is coated. Make sure pasta is mostly submerged in liquid (press it down with a spoon, if needed). If not submerged, add a little more hot water (2-4 Tablespoons).
Cover and Bake: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover and Finish Baking: Remove foil, carefully stir everything, then sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Return to oven uncovered and bake 10 more minutes, until cheese is melted and pasta is fully cooked.
Let Rest Then Serve: Let casserole sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes to help it set (this makes scooping easier). If there's still excess liquid, wait a few minutes longer or gently stir to help absorption. You can also return it briefly to the oven uncovered if needed. Add optional garnishes then serve.

Video

Notes

Making Casserole In Advance: Do steps 2 and 3, browning the beef with the onion and garlic and stirring in the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then cover and refrigerate that mixture on its own for up to 24 hours. Do not add the uncooked pasta, hot water, sauce, or tomatoes until you are ready to bake, because dry pasta sitting in the liquid overnight soaks it up and the no-boil method stops working. When you bake, do step 1 to preheat and grease the dish, then skip to step 4 and carry on from there, adding 5-10 minutes to the covered baking time if the beef went in cold.

Refrigerator Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through.

Freezing and Reheating Instructions: Let the casserole cool completely, then store it tightly covered in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions. You might want to add a little extra sauce or cheese if it seems dry.

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