This Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti 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
- 1 lb Ziti
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 15 oz diced tomatoes (drained or 2 diced tomatoes)
- 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 )
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to box instructions; drain, rinse with cold water and coat with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine the marinara sauce, heavy cream, tomatoes, and sugar. 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 into an oven-safe serving dish and ladle sauce over the top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of 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.
Notes
- Cheeses- all parmesan cheese can be used for the three-cheese blend of Asiago, Romano, and parmesan. Italian cheese blends have all 5 kinds of cheese so you can use that too. And Fontina cheese can be replaced with white Monterey Jack cheese.
- To make-ahead or freeze: cook noodles under 2 minutes, then rinse them with cold water and toss the ziti with 2 tablespoons of oil. Transfer to a baking dish and prepare the sauce. Slightly cool sauce before pouring over the top. Do not stir. Cool completely before covering and storing. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
