Johnny Marzetti

From Cook's Country

April/May 2010

Why this recipe works:

For a natural home for leftover chili, we turned to Johnny Marzetti—a dish that combines pasta, ground beef, onion, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes, topped with cheese and baked. To speed the transformation from chili to Johnny, and to save on cleanup, we opted to make this a one-skillet meal. Instead of boiling the pasta in hot water and draining it, we cooked it right in the skillet with some of the other ingredients. Elbow macaroni are traditional in Johnny Marzetti, but our tasters liked the way rotini trapped more of the sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

Use a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
8 ounces rotini pasta
3 cups leftover Hollywood-Style Chili (see related recipe)

Instructions

1. SAUTÉ VEGETABLES Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine cheeses in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon salt; cover and cook until mushrooms release liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and softened, about 5 minutes.
2. COOK PASTA Stir in broth, tomatoes, and pasta. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. BAKE MIXTURE Off heat, stir in chili and 1½ cups cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over pasta and bake until cheese is light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

No Pasta Pot Required

Adding broth and canned diced tomatoes (with their juice) to the softened vegetables provides enough liquid to cook the pasta.