Kids love this Johnny Marzetti casserole. 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. Sometimes I let the casserole sit overnight before baking, as the flavors improve and the pasta absorbs some of the sauce, so the consistency is just right.
Ingredients
- cooking spray:
- ounces rotini pasta: 8 piece
- ground beef: 1 pound
- bulk mild Italian sausage: 0.5 pound
- onion: 0.75 cup (chopped)
- celery: 0.25 cup (chopped)
- clove garlic: 1 piece (minced)
- green bell pepper: 1 Tbsp (minced)
- salt and pepper: (to taste)
- tomato sauce: 1 can (15 ounce can)
- tomatoes: 1 can (14.4 ounce can, diced)
- Italian cheese blend: 2 cups (shredded)
- ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese: 1 piece
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 7x11-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 6 to 8 minutes; drain. Run cold water over pasta to stop it from cooking further.
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While the pasta is cooking, cook ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until completely browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Add onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper; cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
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Spread pasta over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle Italian cheese blend over rotini, then pour meat sauce over top. Cover the dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the casserole. Continue to bake until Cheddar has melted, about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
