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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!
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 551 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Italian
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
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!
Cup of Yum
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 Information
Calories
551kcal
(28%)
Carbohydrates
54g
(18%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
26g
(40%)
Saturated Fat
14g
(70%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
Monounsaturated Fat
7g
Cholesterol
94mg
(31%)
Sodium
1406mg
(59%)
Potassium
556mg
(16%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
1086IU
(22%)
Vitamin C
11mg
(12%)
Calcium
335mg
(34%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 551
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 551kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 54g | 18% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 94mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 1406mg | 59% |
| Potassium | 556mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1086IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 11mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 335mg | 34% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.