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five cheese ziti al forno olive garden copycat on a plate with cheese blend and breadcrumbs

Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno Copycat (Video)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Alyona Demyanchuk
This Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno Copycat Recipe is made with marinara, heavy cream (no canned alfredo), a blend of Italian cheeses, and a breadcrumb crust that gets baked before serving. Super easy Olive Garden Dinner right at home! 

Ingredients

Ziti Al Forno Olive Garden Copycat:

  • 1 lb Ziti pasta
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs (for the topping)

Five Cheese Marinara Sauce:

  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 15 oz drained diced tomatoes (or two fresh tomatoes, diced)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese blend (grated parmesan, Romano, Asiago)
  • 1/2 cup fontina cheese (can use grated Monterey Jack)
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (grated )

Instructions

Instructions:

  • cooked ziti pasta in a colander strained from water
    In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta into a colander and rinse with cold water. Then, toss with oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Set aside.
  • Olive Gardens ziti al Forno sauce cooked in a saucepan
    Meanwhile, combine the marinara sauce, heavy cream, diced tomatoes, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese blend, 1/2 cup of fontina cheese, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Stir until bubbly and remove from heat.
  • Place pasta in an oven-safe serving dish and ladle sauce over the top. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese blend. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top, and broil just until the cheese browns. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese before serving. See notes below for Casserole instructions.**

Notes

  • Casserole Instructions: Place the pasta in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish to bake ziti in a casserole dish. Ladle all the sauce over the top and sprinkle with one cup of mozzarella and a quarter cup of parmesan cheese. Top with breadcrumbs and bake covered at 350°F for 30-45 minutes. Then broil the top until golden. 
  • Ziti Al Forno can be assembled and refrigerated or frozen for later. 
  • Substitute cheeses with what you have on hand, like Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, or parmesan cheeses.  

Nutrition per serving

Serving: 1servingCalories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 16gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 591mgPotassium: 396mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 844IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 2mg