This is one of my all-time favorite things to eat. I loved (and still do) the smell, the look, and especially the taste.

When I was younger, I thought that all Hispanic people, and the Spaniards in particular, ate this regularly (My mom always called this meal “Spanish macaroni“, so the name stuck for me. Later into my teens, I realized this was her version of Johnny Marzetti). I found out just recently that “Spanish mac” is actually an American (!) dish that originated in Columbus, Ohio at Marzetti’s, an Italian restaurant in 1896 (first served by Teresa Marzetti and named for her brother-in-law, Johnny Marzetti. Italian-American dish, perhaps?).

By the 1920s, the Marzetti meal became a Midwest sensation; its popularity spread to the other U.S. regions, becoming a national culinary treasure.

It can be prepared in various ways, using different kinds of meats, cheese, and peppers (However, I would strongly recommend using strictly elbow macaroni for maximum flavor). 

Here’s the basic recipe; remember, you can always add on something if you want:

1. Boil the elbow macaroni until done. Drain and put to the side. 

2. Chop or dice the onion and green pepper 

3. Then sauté the onion and green pepper in the cooking oil. Add the beef (or other meat). Cook until done. 

4. Now mix everything together with the diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. Heat until very hot. 

5. Spoon 1/3 of the mixture in a casserole dish; add a few slices of Cheddar (or other types of cheese) on top of this. 

6. Add another layer of the macaroni mixture on top of the first one. Now you can add or insert more cheese in this second layer, or you can simply leave it as is. 

7. Put in the last layer of mixture; add more cheese slices, or not (This is entirely up to you!).

8. You can either bake this at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes ( I usually do the former).