Kids love this buffet-ready casserole dish. My mother-in-law used to make a simpler version of this for my husband when he was growing up. This version pushes the flavor profile a bit. I prefer to have this dish sit overnight before baking as the flavors improve and the pasta absorbs some of the sauce so the consistency is just right.

Johnny Marzetti Casserole

rotini pasta

beef

Italian sausage

onion

celery

garlic,

green bell pepper

salt and pepper

(14.4 ounce) can diced tomatoes

(15 tomato sauce

Italian cheese blend

Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes; drain. Run cold water over the pasta to stop pasta from cooking further. Set aside.


Meanwhile, cook the ground beef and sausage until completely browned and crumbled, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix in the onion, celery, garlic, and pepper; continue to cook and stir another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Allow to cool five minutes.


Lightly grease a large casserole dish. Spread the pasta over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend over the pasta. Pour the meat mixture over the pasta and cheese. Cover dish with heavy aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes; remove foil and sprinkle Cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole. Continue baking until Cheddar cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.


I substituted a can of stewed tomatoes (undrained) for the can of sauce because it was what I had onhand and because it had onions, celery, and peppers in it!  A great shortcut for those of us with no time to chop veggies.  I used all ground beef and monterey jack/cheddar because that's what I had.  Came out great!  Chunky, cheesy, and delicious.  

This was a good casserole.  It was pretty basic and easy to make.  It just lacked flavor.  With a little work on the sauce the dish could easily be excellent.  After you brown the meat and saute the onion, veggies, and garlic, I recommend doing a wine reduction with a basic merlot (one that you can actually drink).  Reduce the wine on med-high heat until it you have half of what you started with (I usually start with 1 - 1/2 cups).  Then add 1 large can of tomato sauce.  A generous sprinkle of basil, parsley, and italian seasoning.  Then add your meat and veggies back to the sauce.  Let simmer about 5 minutes.  Then top to over your cheese in your casserole dish and bake.  I would like to add that this casserole would be really good with eggplant, zuccini, carrots, squash, etc.  You really could add any combination of vegetable(s) and it would be delicious.  Next time I will definately keep the celery but I am going to add shredded zuccini and eggplant.  I will cut out the diced tomatoes and double the tomato sauce; only because my kids didn't care for the tomatoes chunks.

This was very easy to make and very tasty. I used whole wheat rotini pasta and diced tomatos with italian seasonings. This recipe also freezes well and the leftovers are ever so tasty!

Just made this last night-really yummy!  I made a few changes to sauce-used only tomato sauce, no diced tomatoes.  Also, I added 2T Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp Basil, 1 tsp Oregano, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1/2 tsp garlic salt, and 1 T packed brown sugar to the sauce for some more flavor.  For cheese, I couldn't find Mexican blend, so used a Colby/Monterey Jack blend which worked great.  I stuck with the sharp cheddar on top.  My 13 year old who never eats tomato sauce cleaned his plate!

This is a great recipe--just delicious.  Anyone I serve it to likes it a lot.  I use the Hunt's tomatoes that have celery, green pepper, onions, and garlic, and omit the celery and green pepper.  I still use the onion and garlic called for in the recipe.

I thought this was o.k.  It's a good base but next time would add more garlic and some Italian seasoning.  A bit more sauce wouldn't hurt either and maybe a pinch of crushed red pepper.  Found it a bit bland as is.  May also use mozzarella instead of cheddar.

This was absolutely wonderful! would not change a thing. I served this for visiting family (2 adults and three children) and it went over very well. Everyone had at least two helpings and the leftovers were all gone by the next day.

ok, on my family weekday menu board under Monday I wrote "Pasta Bake".  Yeah I renamed this dish cause ....well, just cause Tuesday had Zuppa Toscana next to it! Just the facts, Ma'am!  Anyway, today is Thursday and I just finished the LAST bite of "Pasta Bake".  Everyone. Put. Down. The. Hamburger. Helper. Boxes.  For the cost of buying pasta and meat that will last so much longer than that box this recipe is worth stocking the ingredients.  I cooked as written except did not add the extra cheese on top.  No biggie, it was cheesy without it.  What I loved the most is the fact that the entire pan is gone! Gone gone gone! We ate it all.  It has such a great body it holds up well for leftovers in the frig.  I just added a salad and breadsticks for a great meal.  Oh yeah, I always kick the seasonings up with herb mixes regardless of recipe lists for this type of dish.  Do You!

This recipe is absolutely delicious!  The only thing I did differently was I used penne pasta instead of rigatoni and shredded Italian blend cheeses instead of cheddar.  Although it's great fresh, it's even better the next day!!!!!!!!!!!

Great old fashioned hearty meal recipe...good for kids...they'll love it.

Great recipe! i definitly altered it a bit to our taste. Used spaghetti sauce and two cans of tomatoes. I also added twice the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Not only that but i added a finely chopped zuchini. Great! I even made it the morning I was going to cook it, left it in the fridge all day and turned out great! a great go-to recipe, especialy if you have men or kids in your household! i highly recomnd adding the extra veggies though..

This came up on an ingredient search when I was trying to clean out my fridge.  It was great.  The sausage makes all the difference.

THIS RECIPE ROCKED!!!!  I haven't had something this wonderful in a long time.  It was very hearty and went a long way.  It fed my family of 5 for 2 days.  Rave reviews all around for this recipe.

This was okay but rather bland and sure could use some spices. It definitely needs another can of tomato sauce as it turned out a little dry. This really wasn't bad, it simply needs a bit if adjusting to make it a really good dish. As it is, it is just okay, but not good. This does have lots of potential though and could be doctored up to make it good. :)

Easy to create and very tasty! Used just what I had on hand - ground beef only (no sausage) - small can of tomato sauce. It was perfect. My hubby was enthusiastic!

This was very easy to make and, everyone loved it.  They asked for the recipe, so I know it's a keeper!

I did make some changes using the ground beef &amp; Italian sausage, celery, adding grated carrots &amp; dried onion in the sauce made with a can of whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes &amp; tomato sauce, oregano &amp; dried Italian seasoning, teaspoon of sugar and teaspoon of parmesan cheese.  When sauce cooled I  mixed in about 10 ounces of sour cream into the sauce.  Layered as directed only using Italian cheese and parmesan (no cheddar).  Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and let set in refrigerator overnight.  Let the casserole start to come to room temperature before baking.

this recipe is fantastic. I used papardelle instead of risotto because that's what I had, and I was still impressed. I also used a little more garlic and cheese, and added an egg in the mozzarella-- similar to cooking a lasagna. thanks for the great recipe!

Delicious and so simple.  All 8 kids and both of us adults loved it. 'thanks!!

Wonderful!! Absolutely delish! It was even better the next day for left overs, however , I added sliced olives, and used a can of diced tomato's and green chiles. MMMMMM!!!

Delicious! And we will certainly make it again and again!  Thanks!!

Favorite casserole II (according to my son) I modified to be a one dish skillet meal.  

In a very large skillet I sauteed the veggies as instructed then added venison burger (instead of beef) and some diced cooked sausage and kept cooking until pink was gone from the venison.  I then added - in layers - the uncooked tri-color macaroni (substituted for rotini) and two cans of undrained diced tomatoes.  I filled the skillet to the layer of the tomatoes with one can of beef broth and one can of water (volume may vary according to skillet).  Return to boil (do not stir) and simmer for 25 min.  Check for liquid periodically and add water as needed for pasta to cook correctly.  Top with cheese and heat until melted.  Serve.

I grew up on this meal! In the Ohio Valley , this is a standard " streach your budget " end of the month meal from the 50s and 60s.
 My Mom made it with flat noodles , extra onion and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on it at the last 5 min.
With a salad and some Italian bread it's still delightful. It comes from a casserole from the Marzzetti restaurant in Columbus Ohio

Very good. I remember my mom making this when I was little.  Next time I will use about 8oz more tomato sauce. I like it to be saucier.  Because all I had was macaroni noodles, that is what I used, still good.

This was a big hit with my boyfriend, who is quite picky, and I certainly enjoyed it. I used hot Italian sausage but otherwise followed the recipe as written.  The largest casserole dish we have is a 2qt so I did have to divide the recipe; however, it worked out perfectly because I gave the smaller one to our widower neighbor.  I will definitely try this recipe again, though next time I think I'll also use the Italian cheese blend on top, in place of the cheddar.

I will make again, however definitely the day before or early in the day  to allow all the flavor to sink in.

I made this casserole and found it to be very easy to put together. The taste was good but somewhat bland.  It seemed to us to be more like a different way to make spaghetti.  I will be making this dish again but will be trying other ingredients and stepping up on others. Thank you for posting.

I made this with the same ingredients except the paste. I used cavatappi instead of rotini. Marzetti's Restaurant used elbow macaroni for their recipe, so I stick with tubular pasta. I made this just as the recipe states, except at the end, I didn't layer the pasta in a casserole dish. I through everything into the pasta pot, including the cheese and mixed it together, and then into the casserole dish and baked.  I added a little Parmesan to the top at the end. It was delicious. Better than mine! My Mother-in-law and Father-in-law loved it, too!

Followed recipe and it's delicious.  I think next time I'm going to add some sauteed mushrooms. Definitely going to make again!

UPDATE: SINCE MY FIANCE AND I DIDN'T CARE MUCH FOR THIS, WE WEREN'T EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THE LEFTOVER CASSEROLE. I DECIDED TO DELIVER IT TO MY PARENTS, AND TO MY SURPRISE, THEY LOVED IT!!!!! Meh. This was "OK." Certainly nothing to write home about. Made two casseroles, one of which was for dinner tonight. Because others mentioned that this makes a LOT, I divided everything between two 9 inch square disposable baking pans and froze one casserole for later (minus the cheddar). To compensate for the blandness / dryness many have experienced, I made a few modifications. I used hot Italian sausage (all I had on hand), a can of Italian-style diced tomatoes instead of plain ones, an ENTIRE 26 oz. jar of generic store brand chunky-style zesty garlic and three cheese pasta sauce (on sale at my grocer this week for $1!), an entire green bell pepper (1 T wasn't enough...), quadruple the amount of garlic (I wanted to use my last few cloves) and 1 T Italian seasoning. Despite these changes, my fiance and I still thought this was really bland. I liked it a bit more than he did though. My fiance only had one helping and ate ALL of his salad and garlic bread (rare for him - he usually has seconds of EVERYTHING and HATES salad... lol!). Oh well! Maybe this will float your boat. Thanks for sharing with us, KC :)

Very good. My husband loved it and he doesnt like pasta

This was yummy!!  I didn't use the celery and I added more garlic.  I also used spicy italian sausage which gave it a bit of extra zip.  I found that I had to add more sauce after it was cooked because it was a bit dry.  Lots of cheese is the secret.  I would make this again for sure!!

Very good and easy. I added some fresh mushrooms to the other veggies (needed to use them up).  Also a little extra garlic and some crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning.  Leftovers were tasty next day too, and it does make a lot!

My family found this to be very bland.  It seems to be missing something.  I will not make this again.

This was fine. It wasn't anything exceptional, but it was good enough. I actually preferred the flavor as a leftover better then I did when it was fresh. I will probably make this again. It definitely reminds me of something you would find at a potluck.

Very good but no sausage. Added black olives and mozzarella and bacon too yummy

Added some cayenne and worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture, and used used fire roasted tomatoes. Family loves this recipe served with bread sticks

This is really very good, very easy and very inexpensive to make.  The people who complain about it being "bland"; well, add whatever satisfies your tastes -- I obviously add salt and pepper.  I also add some cayenne pepper flakes for a "zing" and use hot Italian sausage in the meat mix.  Add some Italian seasoning and use tomatoes and tomato sauce with Italian herbs/seasonings added.  Thank you for a great casserole that actually tastes even better as it sits!  Therefore, leftovers for lunches are outstanding!  I also use a whole green pepper and have added black olives!  But, that is for my taste.

The Family tought was OK.  I will most likely make it again.  It really does make a lot.  This is a cook once, have dinner twice recipe.  In my book... that's a good thing.

I have a recipe that is very similar. It included all of the above, but also added Mushrooms, a can of Cream of Mushroom soup, and black olives (to garnish).Always loved it, but last night we had an entire large pizza leftover from a party. We removed all of the toppings, and used them in place of the sausage, meats, etc.DEFINITELY one of the easiest and tastiest "quick meals" we've ever done!

Good basic recipe. I did add additional seasoning as others stated the recipe was bland. I added Italian, garlic powder, onion powder, complete seasoning, red pepper flakes and a couple dashes of hot sauce. I also used Rotel tomatoes and mushroom spaghetti sauce and let the sauce simmer with the meat mixture. Came out excellent and flavorful!

I've always loved Johnny Marzetti since I was a kid!  I added a can of tomato soup and substituted the meat for Morningstar fake beef crumbles and it was delicious!  I also used a whole green bell pepper and 3 large celery stalks to get the veggies to stand out more!  Thanks for the yummy recipe!

I cook and freeze on the weekends, and I needed something new for the family to try.  This was a hit!  It was easy to make, and it seems to freeze well.  I will definitely make this again.  Thank you for the great recipe.

Great, but would add a small green pepper (vs.a tbsp).  Feel free to add more tomato sauce &amp; diced tomatoes, as well as cheese.  You can spice it up if you like with hot sausage, chili peppers, etc. - still, a keeper!!

I made this recipe and was excited to try it. It totally lacked any flavor. I am going to use 1/2 lb ground beef and 1 pound mild Italian sausage. I will also add 2 TBS worcestershire sauce, a tsp basil, 1 tsp oregao and 1/2 tsp garlic sauce.

Used 2 C of cheddar for top. 1 C would just barely cover the top. I added some oregano, garlic powder, and sugar to meat mixture to make it more savory (the sugar cut down on the acidic tartness of the tomatoes). No specific measurements, just "to taste".Cook at higher temp or at least 1 hour before adding cheese to top. 45 min at 350 is not nearly long enough or hot enough.

I did make a few changes, used less tomato sauce and less cheese.  Also used 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, some rosemary, extra garlic and a dash of cayenne.  Skipped the Cheddar and went with grated Romano in keeping with the Italian dish.  It still wasn't interesting enough; will make again with more spices.

Although I made a few changes, I give this 5 stars. The changes I made were due to not having some ingredients on hand. Subbed Rotell w/ green chilis for diced tomatoes, used 1/2 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage in place of Italian sausage,used beef stew meat, chopped, in place of ground beef, added 3 Tbls minced garlic, used 2 cups mozarella in place of Italian cheese. WOW!!!! Good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

This was a good recipe. I changed it a little by using 12 ounces veggie rotini, 1 pound Italian sausage, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bell pepper, and 1tsp Italian seasoning; I also left out the celery because I don't like it. I made it right away and the sauce cooked into the pasta. I found it to be flavorful. Next time, I think I would use the whole onion and whole bell pepper though.

Super easy and everyone loved it.  I will make it again!

This a really wonderful dish. First time I’ve made it, though I’ve made pasta casseroles, meat sauces, and lasagnas for years. I basically followed this recipe, after reviewing several for JMarzetti. Key elements here: 1 lb. ground beef AND 1/2 lb Italian sausage; herbs; mix of cheeses (mozz, parm, Romano) with cheddar on top; and Worcestershire. My changes: I used 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand, and 1 can of crushed Jersey tomatoes (very fresh and sweet, Scalfani brand); added extra green pepper (1/2-1 cup); added 1 Tsp. oregano, basil, parsley; simmered the sauce for 1 hour, before cooking the pasta, in this case, elbow macaroni, full pound. Layered sauce, pasta lightly mixed with sauce, Italian cheeses, twice. Sauce on top with cheddar added for last 10 minutes. Delicious!

I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious. Definitely a new favorite and I wouldn't change a thing.

Yes, I will make it again. This was the second time I have made it. I replaced ground beef for the sausage and shredded Mexican cheese because that's what I had available. This is a great recipe to add more spice if you want a spicier taste. The amount in the recipe is fine  for me because I'm not able to tolerate spicy foods.  Also it is great to take to a potluck dinner and if there are left overs  it freezes well.

Made it with pork and bison.  Pretty good.  The family liked it.  

Awesome, Easy, and affordable just add more bell pepper like a quater of a bell pepper or a half of a smell one. And a Huge garlic clove or three small ones.

SO DELICIOUS! 
What more can I say? Big hit! And somehow it was even better as leftovers!

I made a  few changes in the recipe, I added extra extra Italian seasoning to it and added a little more garlic and let simmer for about 30 minutes.. It made a big difference and tasted really good.

Can be customized to what you have on hand. Came out moist and delicious.

Everyone in my little family loved this dish.  Pretty easy to make.  I wonder why include celery?

My husband and son really liked this dish. It is not huge in tomato flavor which was a bonus in my house. I used my pamper chef big crock and it turned out just perfect. Will make again.

Love this pasta, very easy, lots of flavour... Definetely I will make it again.

This is a very good casserole.  The family loves it

I thought this was quite good! I used 1.5 lbs. of hamburger and left the Italian sausage out. I also added a little Italian seasoning. It was still good! I'll definately make again! Perhaps next time I'll add a bit more tomato sauce...just a personal preference! Thanks!

Kids loved it.  Used tomatoes with the other ingredients included.  And lots of added seasoning, on both the noodles and the sauce.

Thought it was pretty bland, the only "seasoning" that seemed predominant was the seasoning in the sausage (which didn't seem to really suit the dish for some reason), and even after sitting overnight, it still was only OK.  If I were to attempt something like it again, I might try stewed tomatoes, and possibly use only ground chuck, but I'm pretty certain I wouldn't make it again.  Oh well.

Wonderful recipe!  I did substitute a can of crushed tomatoes for the diced and left out the celery.  I have some "picky" eaters in the house and I didn't want to scrape tomatoes and celery off plates after dinner.  My dish had plenty of zip and I wouldn't have added extra Italian seasoning.  Perhaps the bulk sausage I got at the grocer had a little more spice than average.

Will definitely make again. This was delicious.

Johnny Marzetti Casserole Haiku: "More like 4.5. Near perfection comfort food. Just needs seasoning." I wasn't prepared to like this so much, thinking it basically a jazzed-up version of Hamburger Helper, but ended up very surprised at how great it turned out to be; the only thing that it called out for was a heavier hand in the spice department; Italian seasoning, basil, oregano ... I just grabbed what my hand found in my cluttered cabinet (well, w/in reason, I certainly didn't put in anything that wouldn't jive w/ the flavors like curry or cloves!) and sprinkled it in. Definitely a keeper for me!

Simple to make, we added a little more garlic and green pepper. Great weekday dinner.

I used the bow tie pasta, since it was all I had in the pantry.  It was very tasteful.  Thanks for the recipe.

This was a meal my mother in law made for my husband when he was a kid. I couldn’t get it right. This recipe was delicious &amp; my husband loved it. I didn’t have any bell pepper so added extra Italian seasoning instead. A great pantry meal that I’ll make again.

Made it with crushed tomatoes and it lacked some spices I agree with another review. We loved the Italian sausage and will probably add more next time instead of the ratio here.

1 tbl of minced green bell pepper?  Who's gonna notice?

My picky family loved it!!  I'm keen on recipes that still work even when you mess with it.  I doubled the sauce and used breakfast sausage (because it was all I had), and it was still a hit!

Nothing extra special but a simple weeknight meal that makes a nice big batch for leftovers. Very similar to midwestern goulash.

A bit bland.  Probably won't be keeping for a regular rotation.

This was really tasty!  I used a can of diced tomatoes, pre-seasoned with tomato/basil.  The fresh ingredients made this dish a keeper!

This was really good.  Most of my kids liked it too.  I used all hamburger but I am sure it would be even better with the sausage.

My whole family loved this recipe and usually we nit pick a little on the different add ins to the recipe but not this time! Even my three year old loved it. A+ to this one!!

I thought it was ok.  My husband loved it.

Excellent version of an old time favorite !  I've tried it as is and also with the bow tie pasta. Love it.

This recipe was a real crowd pleaser. I used two cans of the italian blend canned tomatoes and twice as much sauce, too. I was also really generous with the other ingredients. The sausage literally made the dish.  Next time I'll use more of it.  Also, making ahead is key--the pasta really had the best consistency and the flavor was just awesome.     

My mother  made this dish for our family 50 years ago

Everyone loved it. I threw some red wine  and Italian seasoning in, otherwise followed the recipe.

johnny marzetti casserole

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hours, 10 minutes

Total: 1 hours, 55 minutes

Servings: 6

Author : KC

Ingredients

Instructions

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