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.