Olive Garden copycat Five Cheese Ziti al Forno - Cooking Carnival (2024)

Olive Garden copycat, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno recipe is made with Alfredo sauce, five cheese, and marinara sauce, topped with a crispy panko mixture, and baked until golden brown and bubbly.

It’s quick to make, a tremendous prep-ahead dish, and much better than Olive Garden!! This baked pasta recipe is a huge hit with crowds and potlucks.

It makes one of those easy dinner ideas that will bring comfort to your family table for a fraction of the price!

Who doesn’t love Copycat Olive Garden Recipes?

And who doesn’t love a perfect freezer-friendly meal?

We all do right!!

I have been countless times to Olive Garden(I love their endless salad and breadsticks). Five Cheese Ziti is our family favorite. Let’s try to recreate it at home.

And I can proudly say that I nailed it.

After tasting it, my son and husband said – we will not be going to Olive Garden for Five cheese ziti; this is better than Olive Gardens.

This Baked Ziti is perfect for a cozy family dinner or a decadent potluck.

It is different than the traditional baked Ziti, which is made with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. Instead, our today’s version is a copycat version of Olive Garden.

I love making pasta dishes when I host or bring them to potluck parties.

It is easy to make and an efficient way to feed a crowd! Plus, it can be made ahead of time.

So for the upcoming holiday gathering, I am making this recipe.

We love tasty pasta dinners like our super Paneer stuffed shells Recipe! But this baked Ziti has our hearts. It is like eating Olive Garden right at home!

This Ziti al Forno is like the best-baked ziti recipe you’ve ever had. Mixing marinara, alfredo sauce, and five kinds of cheese made this dish extra delicious. And the bonus is you won’t have to wait for a trip to Olive Garden to enjoy.

What do I love about this Five Cheese Ziti?

What’s not to love? Pasta. Cheeses. Creamy sauce. Crunchy topping. Ahhhh… so good!!

• Easy prep and assembly
• Make-ahead friendly
• Guaranteed family pleaser.
• All the flavors of Olive Garden at a minimal cost!
• Hearty and filling
• On the table in under an hour
• Perfect crowd pleasure
• It makes excellent after-school snacks for teenagers and weekend lunches for busy families!

Ingredients required

• Ziti Pasta: It’s essential to use a quality brand of pasta.
• Cheese: You will need Five kinds of cheese. Ricotta cheese (you can replace with full-fat cottage or cream cheese), Fontina (you can replace it with Monterey Jack cheese), Parmesan, Medium cheddar cheese (In the olive garden, they use romano cheese), and mozzarella.
• Italian style Panko: If you don’t find it, use simple breadcrumbs.
• Garlic powder: You can use freshly grated garlic too.
• Salt and pepper to flavor the dish
• Marinara sauce: Make your own or a good quality store-bought one.
• For alfredo sauce: We will need Parmesan cheese, butter, heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Parsley: for topping

Step-by-step process

Cooking Pasta

Option 1 – In the instant pot

• Take Ziti pasta, 2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups of water in an instant pot.
• Cover the instant pot, and set the vent valve in the sealing position. Press the manual/pressure button and set the timer for 5 minutes.
• Once cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and quickly release the remaining pressure.
• Open the lid. If you notice a little water in the pot, drain it. Keep it aside.

Option 2 – On stove pot

• Boil ziti pasta al dente according to the package direction. Drain and keep it aside. (Remember to salt the pasta water).

For Alfredo Sauce

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper powder. Mix them well.
• Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Slowly add parmesan cheese. Stir very well.
• On low flame, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Switch off the flame and keep this sauce aside.

For Ziti toppings

• Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, and fresh parsley are in a bowl. Combine all the ingredients of the topping. Keep it aside.

For Ziti sauce

• Add prepared Alfredo sauce, marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and fontina cheese to a bowl. Mix everything well. Keep them aside.
• Mix boiled ziti pasta and Ziti sauce well in a big pot.

Let’s assemble

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place ziti pasta mixed with sauce into a baking pan. Spread it evenly.
• Top it up with prepared Ziti toppings, spreading evenly.

See Also

11 Ways To Use Leftover Taco Meat90 Super Bowl Appetizers Even Your Rival Team Will Be Begging You ForItalian Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese Recipe +VIDEOHow To Make Tortellini the Easy Way | Simple. Tasty. Good.

• Place the pan into the preheated oven. Bake Five Cheese Ziti for about 30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
• Remove and serve it immediately with your choice of bread and salad. Enjoy Olive Garden copycat FIVE CHEESE ZITI.

Notes, pro tips, and quick FAQs

• Make sure you make enough sauce as instructed so that your Ziti is nice and saucy.
• Grate or shred your cheese.
• Don’t skimp on the cheese.
• You can also add veggies like mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, etc.
• You may use store-bought alfresco sauce if you don’t want to make it from scratch.
• You can replace alfredo sauce with just heavy whipping cream. It will balance the acidity of the marinara while giving this copycat Olive Garden ziti al forno recipe a creamy touch without hassle.
• Remember to salt the pasta with water.
• Ensure the pasta is not cooked all the way through, as it will cook further in the oven.

More pasta recipes

• Baked feta pasta
• Spicy chipotle pasta
• Sun-dried tomato pasta
• Creamy spinach mushroom pasta
• pasta Aglio e olio

Warm regards,

Dhwani.

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