Five Cheese Ziti

Five Cheese Ziti is a classic Italian baked pasta dish. It’s basically mixture of alfredo sauce and pasta sauce baked in a dish with cheese and ziti pasta. I love Olive Garden. I have been countless times (Love that endless salad and breadsticks). I love Olive Gardens Five Cheese Ziti. It’s one of my favorite. So thought let’s try to make it at home. Today I am showing you how to make one of Olive Gardens best known Pasta dishes – Five Cheese Ziti. It tastes just like Olive Gardens Five Cheese Ziti. I would say this recipe is Olive Gardens Copycat. My son and husband said – we will be not going to Olive garden for Five cheese ziti, this is better than Olive Gardens. 🙂

Ziti is pretty common pasta shape in most areas, but you can substitute penne pasta if you can’t find it. You can assemble this ahead of time. I have used homemade Alfredo sauce, you may use store-bought.

This recipe is perfect for a crowd and it is kids friendly. Super Bowl is coming, so make it and enjoy the game.

Serves 8 to 9 people

Ingredients

For Alfredo Sauce

Unsalted Butter – 1/2 cup

Heavy cream – 2 cups

Parmesan cheese – 1 cup

Garlic salt – 1 tsp

White Pepper Powder to taste (I used black pepper powder)

For Ziti Sauce

Pasta sauce or Marinara sauce – 3 cups

Alfredo Sauce – 2 Cups (Recipe is given in one first step)

Ricotta cheese – 1 cup

Mozzarella  cheese shredded – 1/4 cup

Fontina Cheese shredded – 3 tbsp

Garlic salt – 1 tsp

Pepper Powder – 1 tsp

For Ziti toppings

Mozzarella cheese shredded – 1 1/2 cup

Romano cheese shredded – 3 tbsp

Parmesan cheese shredded – 3 tbsp

Italian Breadcrumbs – 1/2 cup

Garlic powder – 1 Tsp

Fresh Italian Parsley – 3 tbsp

Other ingredients

Dry Ziti Pasta – 450gms / 1 lb

Direction

For Pasta

1. Boil ziti pasta according to the package direction. Drain and keep it aside.

For Alfredo Sauce

2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt butter. Add Cream, garlic salt and pepper powder. Mix them well.

3. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 6 minutes. Slowly add cheese.

4. On low flame cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep it aside.

For Ziti sauce

5. Combine all the ingredients of ziti sauce in a large bowl. Keep them aside.

For Ziti toppings

6. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients of topping. Keep it aside.

Let’s combine all the preparation

7. Preheat oven @ 375 degrees F.

8. Mix boiled ziti pasta and ziti sauce very well.

9. Take 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Place ziti pasta mixed with sauce into baking pan. Spread it evenly.

10. Top it up with prepared Ziti toppings, spreading evenly.

11. Place pan in to the preheated oven. Bake Five Cheese Ziti for about 20 minutes or until top is slightly golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

12. Remove and serve it immediately with your choice of bread and salad. Enjoy Olive garden copycat FIVE CHEESE ZITI.