Johnny Marzetti, or simply marzetti, is an American pasta dish in the cuisine of the Midwestern United States prepared with noodles, cheese, ground beef or Italian sausage,[1] and a tomato sauce that may include aromatic vegetables and mushrooms.[2]
 Johnny Marzetti is a pasta casserole popular in the American Midwest and the former Panama Canal Zone. | |
| Alternative names | Marzetti, Johnny Mazetti, Mazetti, Johnny Machete, Joe Mazzotti, Jo Mazzotti |
|---|---|
| Course | Main dish |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Columbus, Ohio, Midwestern United States |
| Created by | Marzetti's Restaurant, Columbus, Ohio |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Pasta, ground beef, Italian sausage, tomatoes, cheese |
| Variations | mushrooms, vegetables, olives |
History
editJohnny Marzetti originated in Columbus, Ohio, at Marzetti's, an Italian restaurant established in 1896 at Woodruff Avenue and High Street by an Italian immigrant named Teresa Marzetti.[3][4] One of the dishes Marzetti offered her customers was a baked casserole of ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce, and noodles that she named for her brother-in-law, Johnny.[5] Teresa Marzetti was the first person to serve the casserole Johnny Marzetti in a restaurant.[6] Proximity to the nearby Ohio State University helped the first restaurant succeed and spread Marzetti's fame.[7]
By the 1920s, it had become popular across Ohio and the Midwestern United States. The original restaurant closed in 1942, but a second location, opened in 1919, remained in operation until Teresa Marzetti died in 1972.[8] Marzetti's later became known for various salad dressings, which are still produced under the T. Marzetti Company label.
Johnny Marzetti also became a popular dish in the former Panama Canal Zone, where Panamanian locals referred to the dish as "Johnny Mazetti".[9]
In Season 3, Episode 18 of Gilmore Girls, "Happy Birthday, Baby", Johnny Marzetti casserole is referred to as "Johnny Machete", a dish [10]Richard Gilmore's grandmother made for him when he was feeling sad.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Johnny Marzetti is a Retro Pasta Casserole That Everyone Will Love".
- ^ "Johnny Marzetti". Saveur. April 9, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ^ Edward Pfau (April 4, 2013), Casserole indeed started in Columbus, The Columbus Dispatch, p. 18A, archived from the original on October 19, 2021, retrieved October 20, 2013
- ^ Charlotte Durham (September 30, 2009), Origin of Johnny Marzetti pasta casserole legendary, The Commercial Appeal, p. M4, retrieved October 20, 2013
- ^ "Johnny Marzetti - Ohio History Central". Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ "Johnny Marzetti - Ohio History Central". ohiohistorycentral.org. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ^ "T. Marzetti Company - Ohio History Central". Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ "Teresa Marzetti - Ohio History Central". Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ Darbee, Jeff (August 20, 2014). "City Quotient: What is Columbus' definitive local food?". Columbus Monthly. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Johnny Marzetti Recipe". May 2009.
- ^ Gilmore Gags (2014-02-20), Richard is making the dinner, retrieved 2018-01-28