Forget Goulash: This Nostalgic Midwest Comfort Food Is Even Heartier

If you didn't grow up in Ohio, there's a good chance you've never heard of Johnny Marzetti — and no, this isn't a person, but a hearty pasta-based casserole. A little like a budget-friendly, lower-effort lasagna, it bakes together ground beef, tomato sauce, macaroni or egg noodles, and a pile of cheese.

It's been part of the culinary landscape there for over a century, and is often credited to an Italian immigrant named Teresa Marzetti, who opened a restaurant near Ohio State University in 1896, allegedly naming the dish for her brother-in-law. Emphasis is on "allegedly", though: When a local journalist dug into it, it never appeared on the Marzetti restaurant menu, and Teresa's descendants have also said they don't believe she invented it. There doesn't appear to be any other widely-accepted origin story, but in any case, it first appeared in print around 1916, and seemingly evolved over time, as that version used pork, cream cheese, and cayenne. By the '50s, it was a go-to for potlucks and school cafeterias.

Its simplicity may be part of why it's so popular: To make it, you'll brown ground beef with onions (sometimes mushrooms go in here) before stirring in tomato sauce, some cheddar or mozzarella, and the cooked noodles or macaroni. Pop it into a baking dish, scatter the rest of the cheese on top, and bake it until it's browned.

Even if you haven't heard of Johnny Marzetti, chances are better that you know some pretty similar dishes. There's American goulash (more associated with the mid-Atlantic region), which is very similar, although with the notable addition of paprika, a key ingredient in its namesake, the classic Hungarian goulash. It's believed to have evolved out of that dish, with the pasta taking the place of potatoes or dumplings that would have been used in Hungary. There's also American chop suey, which you'll find in New England: It's pretty identical to Johnny Marzetti, although you might find some extra vegetables like peppers in there. Whether it grew out of the Chinese-American chop suey is highly debatable; it may be because the phrase chop suey refers to a dish that mixes up an assortment of stray ingredients. Some argue that all three dishes are really the same, and it's just the names that vary.

There's one other variation that is distinctly different, though: A version of Johnny Marzetti that was apparently exported to the Panama Canal Zone, the American territory around the Panama Canal for much of the 20th century. Likely brought there by Americans in the army, it added green olives, celery, and a slightly sweet, somewhat vinegary canned tomato-mushroom sauce called Arturo Sauce. Although the Panama Canal Zone is no longer, you can still find this dish in Panama, where it's often spelled "Johnny Mazetti". Back in Ohio, Johnny Marzetti is not as common as it once was in restaurants and cafeterias, but considering it's so straightforward to make, there's nothing stopping you from making it at home.