Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno is a copycat recipe made with cooked pasta tossed with marinara and Alfredo sauce as well as five kinds of cheese, then topped with a crispy panko mixture, and baked until golden brown and bubbly. It makes one of those easy dinner ideas that will bring comfort to your family table for a fraction of the price! Check out this Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake!
16ozziti pastaraw (whole wheat, white, or gluten-free)
4cupsmarinara saucestore-bought or homemade
2cupsAlfredo saucestore-bought or homemade (replace it with heavy cream or plain Greek yogurt)
½cupricotta cheesefull-fat
1 ½cupsFontina cheeseshredded
½cupmozzarella cheeseshredded
TOPPING
½cupmozzarella cheeseshredded
¼cuppanko breadcrumbswhole wheat, gluten-free, or white
¼cupRomano cheesegrated (you may use Parmesan instead)
¼cupParmesan cheesegrated
2clovesgarlic mincedor 1 teaspoon garlic powder although fresh garlic is better. You may add some freshly cracked black pepper to the topping mixture if you want.
GARNISH
3tablespoonchopped parsleyor another fresh herb of choice
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or large oven-safe skillet and reserve.
Cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than the time stated on the package. Drain but do not rinse!
In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta with 1-2 tablespoon olive oil (if possible in order to avoid sticking), marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, ricotta cheese, Fontina, and mozzarella until combined.
Pour into to the greased baking dish.
In another bowl, mix together the mozzarella, panko, Romano, Parmesan, and garlic. Then top the pasta with the mixture!
Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly. Serve sprinkled with parsley!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
StorageStore leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, in the microwave until hot (about 2 minutes per portion).FREEZE: For best results, cook the pasta two minutes short, drain, rinse (yes, rinse it), toss with 2-3 tablespoon olive oil, and freeze the cool pasta alone in a single layer for up to one month.Then follow the rest of the recipe when it is time to bake it! If you freeze the entire dish ready to bake, you’ll wind up with dry pasta because it will suck up all the sauce.
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