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BACK IN high school, I couldn’t get away from Johnny Marzetti. Just hearing the name caused me to roll my eyes and mutter “Marzetti,” in much the same way Jerry Seinfeld used to greet his nemesis, Newman.
It’s not that Johnny’s a bad person. In fact, he isn’t a person at all, but a casserole—a mainstay of cafeteria menus across the state of Ohio, where I grew up. This carb-heavy combo of elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, ground beef, mushrooms, sautéed onions, and lots and lots of cheddar cheese was offered at least once,…