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!
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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.
- 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.
Absolutely! Cook the pasta, make the sauce, and prepare the topping, then let the sauce and pasta cool before assembling the Ziti. Then assemble and top it with toppings and refrigerate or freeze, then bake when you want to serve it!
You can freeze this five-cheese Ziti. First, prepare as directed and cool to room temperature. Then wrap and freeze accordingly. I often make a double batch and freeze one for a ready-made meal during the busy week.
You can also freeze your five cheese ziti in single-serve portions that are easy to pull out a couple at a time.
Penne is a perfect substitute – it’s basically Ziti but with ridges on the surface instead of being smooth. Spirals, macaroni, and small shells would also work here.
I love serving it with garlic bread, crusty bread, or any artisan bread you choose. And A nice salad on the side.
Take the leftovers and put them in an airtight container in the fridge. This will stay good for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Assembling everything and placing it in the fridge. When ready to serve, take it out of the refrigerator and bake it. Unbaked five-cheese Ziti will stay in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The second option is to prepare the sauce ahead of time and freeze it. Then, toss it in the fridge to slowly thaw the day before you cook. When you want to make your baked Ziti, boil the Ziti, mix with sauce, take it into a baking pan, and top it with toppings. It’ll be ready for the oven in no time.
No, this baked Ziti is not gluten-free. To make it GF, use gluten-free pasta and Gluten-free bread crumbs.
More pasta recipes
- Baked feta pasta
- Spicy chipotle pasta
- Sun-dried tomato pasta
- Creamy spinach mushroom pasta
- pasta Aglio e olio
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Olive Garden Copycat Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
Ingredients
For Alfredo Sauce
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter – ½ cup
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Ziti Sauce
- 3 cup Pasta sauce or Marinara sauce Homemade or store-bought.
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoon Fontina Cheese shredded
For Ziti toppings
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoon cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 3 tablespoon Fresh Italian Parsley
Other ingredients
- 1 lb Dry Ziti Pasta – 450gms
Instructions
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, milk, 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.Tip – You'll know the Alfredo sauce recipe is thick enough when it coats the back of your spoon.
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.
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.
Let’s assemble
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix boiled ziti pasta and Ziti sauce well in a big pot.
- 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.
- Place the pan into the preheated oven. Bake Five Cheese Ziti at 375 degrees F. 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.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- This recipe is updated with new content, pics, and video, originally published in Feb 2016.
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
i am excited to try this copy cat recipe as I also love this pasta from olive garden. I would like to use a jarred alfredo sauce and was wondering how many cups of this is equivalent to the amount of alfredo sauce you make in the recipe? also to get that olive garden taste is there a specific brand of jarred alfredo and marinara you recommend?
Use around 2.5 cups of jarred alfredo sauce. I prefer Raos brand marinara sauce. Never tried store-bought alfredo sauce, so no idea of a good brand.