The Old-School Cheesy Pasta Dish Only Ohioans Will Recognize

Have you met Johnny? Johnny Marzetti, that is. If the name doesn't ring a bell, then odds are you're not from Ohio, where the name "Johnny Marzetti" doesn't bring to mind a person, but a pasta dish. A baked noodle casserole containing ground beef, tomato sauce, and cheese, Johnny Marzetti is perhaps Ohio's most legendary casserole. Johnny Marzetti was a real person, but he didn't invent the dish; his sister-in-law, Columbus restaurateur Theresa Marzetti, first served it after looking for something filling that could be made and sold inexpensively to the Ohio State University students who frequented her restaurant. Some say it originated elsewhere, but there's no official answer.

The dish would eventually spread across Ohio, but retain a particular association with the city of Columbus, where it was not only invented, but became a staple in school cafeterias. While many Ohio public schools no longer serve Johnny Marzetti in the cafeteria due to school lunch health standards that the dish largely doesn't meet, it still makes occasional appearances. Moreover, while it's definitely a vintage casserole that's harder to find these days, for many Ohioans, Johnny Marzetti is a nostalgic treat to enjoy at home, and quick enough to make life easier on a weeknight.

If you're looking to try your hand at making Johnny Marzetti for yourself, you can play it old-school with only beef, cheese, and tomato sauce, but several variations exist as well. Some Johnny Marzetti recipes call for green pepper or mushrooms, either added fresh or in a can of cream of mushroom soup. Even more unusual, though, is the version from the former Panama Canal Zone, where construction crews building the canal initially popularized it, and where a Panamanian Johnny Marzetti would come to include olives and celery. All recipes need some cheese on top, but that can be cheddar, American, mozzarella, or a mixture.

Traditionally, Johnny Marzetti calls for elbow macaroni, although some recipes use egg noodles – one great thing about the dish is that it leaves some room for experimenting. Whatever recipe you use, while you're enjoying your meal, you might want to watch an episode of the beloved 2000s television show "Gilmore Girls." Specifically, in Season 3, Episode 18, Gilmore patriarch Richard makes a dish of "Johnny Machete" that he says was a childhood favorite. "Johnny Machete" is not a real dish, but it was based on Johnny Marzetti, meaning the Connecticut-based Gilmore family may have some secret ties to Ohio!