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.

[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.

[6] Proximity to the nearby Ohio State University helped the first restaurant succeed and spread Marzetti's fame.

The original restaurant closed in 1942, but a second location, opened in 1919, remained in operation until Teresa Marzetti died in 1972.

[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.