Description
Midwestern comfort shines through this Johnny Marzetti Bake, blending rich pasta, ground beef, and melted cheese into a soul-warming casserole. Generations of family recipes converge in this simple yet satisfying dish you’ll crave from first bite to last.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1.5 lbs lean ground beef (90:10)
Vegetables:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
Starches, Dairy, and Seasonings:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 8 ounces (226 grams) shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups)
- 4 ounces (113 grams) grated Parmesan cheese (1.5 cups)
- 1 (28 ounces/794 grams) can whole plum tomatoes in juice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 0.75 teaspoon dried oregano
- 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish by lightly greasing and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, roast mushrooms until deep golden and liquid evaporates completely (5-8 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- Using the same skillet, sauté onions until translucent and softened (approximately 6 minutes). Incorporate garlic and bell peppers, cooking for an additional minute. Season with salt.
- Introduce ground beef to the skillet, breaking into tiny fragments and cooking until thoroughly browned with no pink remaining (around 8 minutes).
- Manually crush tomatoes directly into the skillet, including all juices. Blend in tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Allow mixture to simmer and meld flavors for 20 minutes.
- Reintegrate reserved mushrooms into sauce, simmering for an additional 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Simultaneously, boil pasta in salted water until perfectly al dente. Drain thoroughly.
- Combine pasta with prepared sauce, folding in half of the cheese varieties. Transfer entire mixture to prepared baking dish, then sprinkle remaining cheese across the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until edges bubble and surface turns golden brown. Allow dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving to enhance flavor integration.
Notes
- Customize mushroom selection by using fresh shiitake or cremini for deeper, earthier flavor profiles that complement the hearty beef base.
- Reduce fat content by substituting ground turkey or lean ground beef, maintaining the dish’s rich texture and protein-packed appeal.
- Make the recipe gluten-free by using chickpea or brown rice pasta, ensuring the casserole remains satisfyingly filling and nutritious.
- Enhance vegetable variety by adding diced zucchini or spinach during the sauce simmering stage, boosting nutritional value and creating more complex taste layers.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 46 min
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Midwestern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg