Italian sausage-noodle casserole by Mama Steph

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - This cheesy, comfort-food perfection casserole is known in some regions as Johnny Marzetti. It’s so good and so easy to make. Give it a try!

Italian sausage-noodle casserole

• Cooking spray
• 12-ounce bag dried egg noodles
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese
• 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water (saved from cooking the noodles)
• Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 12 ounces dried egg noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound Italian sausage and cook, breaking the meat up into pieces, until the pink starts to disappear, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped bell pepper, the onion, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. While the sausage mixture cooks, shred the cheese if not using pre-shredded.
• Add 1 can tomato sauce and 1/4 cup pasta water to the sausage mixture and stir to combine. Cook until bubbly and heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cooked noodles and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to coat the noodles. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and turning golden brown.

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