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close up of Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno in a baking dish
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5 from 1 vote

Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno

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!
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories551 kcal
Author Valentina Dimitrova
Cost $ 1.50 per person

Equipment

  • 1 pot
  • 1 Baking dish
  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • oven
  • 1 Colander

Ingredients

PASTA

  • 16 oz ziti pasta raw (whole wheat, white, or gluten-free)
  • 4 cups marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
  • 2 cups Alfredo sauce store-bought or homemade (replace it with heavy cream or plain Greek yogurt)
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese full-fat
  • 1 ½ cups Fontina cheese shredded
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded

TOPPING

  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs whole wheat, gluten-free, or white
  • ¼ cup Romano cheese grated (you may use Parmesan instead)
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or 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

  • 3 tablespoon chopped parsley or another fresh herb of choice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 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

Storage
Store 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1406mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1086IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 335mg | Iron: 2mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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