Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno Easy Recipe

There’s something magical about pulling a bubbling dish of Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno from your own oven. All that melted cheese, tender pasta, and that crispy golden topit’s the kind of cozy Italian comfort that makes everyone at the table go quiet for a few bites.

I’ve been recreating this dish since my early days at culinary school, back when I’d splurge on it after long kitchen shifts. The secret? Layering your cheeses properly and not skipping the broil at the endthat’s what gives you those irresistible crispy edges. After testing this about a dozen times over the years, I can promise you it tastes just like the restaurant version, maybe even better because it’s made with love in your own kitchen.

Olivia Farnsworth

Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno Easy Recipe

This Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno is a delicious baked pasta dish featuring two rich Italian sauces and a blend of five cheeses, topped with a crispy panko crust. It’s a perfect comfort meal with creamy, cheesy flavors baked to golden perfection.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 713

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ziti pasta
• 4 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fontina cheese , shredded
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese , shredded
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese , grated
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
• 2 cloves garlic , minced

Method

 

1. Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to warm up.
2. Cook the ziti pasta, stopping just before the suggested time on the package, then drain well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta with marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, ricotta, and shredded fontina cheese; stir until everything is evenly coated.
4. Transfer the pasta mix into a large ovenproof dish or a 9 by 13-inch casserole pan.
5. In another bowl, mix together mozzarella, panko breadcrumbs, Romano, Parmesan, and the minced garlic thoroughly.
6. Spread this cheese and breadcrumb mixture evenly over the pasta.
7. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is golden and bubbly.

Notes

• For best results, serve hot and fresh from the oven. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently in the oven or microwave.

Why You’ll Love This Five Cheese Ziti

This copycat brings all the restaurant magic straight to your kitchenwithout the wait or the price tag. You get five kinds of cheese melting into tender ziti, all crowned with a crispy, garlicky panko topping that’s absolutely irresistible.

• Restaurant quality at home: Two sauces (marinara and Alfredo) create that signature creamy-yet-tangy flavor
• Crowd-pleaser: Perfect for Sunday dinners, potlucks, or when you need something that makes everyone happy
• Easy assembly: Mix, top, bakeno complicated techniques required
• Make-ahead friendly: Assemble earlier in the day and pop it in the oven when you’re ready

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

The magic of Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno lives in its cheese blend. You’re using ricotta and fontina mixed right into the pasta, then topping everything with mozzarella, Romano, and Parmesan. Each cheese plays a rolericotta adds creaminess, fontina melts beautifully, and those harder cheeses give you that golden, slightly salty crust.

The panko breadcrumbs mixed with minced garlic create that signature crispy topping everyone fights over. Pro Tip: Don’t skip the garlic in the toppingit toasts as it bakes and adds so much flavor.

How to Make It Step-by-Step

Start by cooking your ziti one minute less than the package saysit’ll finish cooking in the oven and stay perfectly tender, not mushy. While that’s going, mix your two sauces together with the ricotta and fontina in a large metal bowl. This is where all that creamy, cheesy goodness comes together.

Transfer everything to your baking dish, then prepare the topping by mixing the mozzarella, panko, Romano, Parmesan, and garlic. Spread it evenly over the pastathis is what creates those beautiful golden spots. Bake uncovered so the top gets crispy while the inside stays creamy.

Smart Swaps and Substitutions

Running low on ingredients? You can swap fontina for provolone or even more mozzarellayou’ll still get that stretchy, melty texture. If you don’t have panko, regular breadcrumbs work fine, though panko gives you a crispier finish.

Serving and Storage Tips

Serve this straight from the oven with a simple green salad and some crusty bread for soaking up all that sauce. It’s hearty enough to be the star of the meal, and honestly, you won’t need much else alongside it.

Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or warm the whole dish covered with foil at 350°F for about 20 minutes. The topping won’t be quite as crispy, but it still tastes wonderful.

Freezing tip: You can assemble this completely, cover it tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directedmaybe add 5-10 extra minutes if it’s still cold in the center.

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FAQs (Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno)

You’ve just made a restaurant favorite right in your own kitchen, and I promise it tastes every bit as good as the original. This Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno comes together in under an hour, but it feels like something you spent all day on. The cheese is creamy and melty, the edges are crispy and golden, and that garlicky panko topping? Pure magic. Your family’s going to think you’ve been hiding a secret Italian grandmother in the pantry.

Here’s a little trick I picked up over the years: if you want even more flavor, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce mixture before baking. It gives just a tiny kick without overwhelming the cheesy goodness. You can also sneak in some Italian sausage or sautéed mushrooms if you’re feeding hungry teenagers or want to stretch it a bit further. And don’t worry about leftoversthis reheats beautifully, and honestly, some folks say it tastes even better the next day when all those flavors have had time to meld together. Keep it covered in the fridge and warm it gently.

I’d love to hear how this turns out in your kitchen. Did your kids ask for seconds? Did it remind you of a special dinner out with someone you love? Snap a photo and share it with your friendsthis is the kind of recipe that deserves to be passed around. Save it for your next potluck or Sunday supper, and watch how quickly that dish gets scraped clean. Here’s to cozy nights, full bellies, and kitchens that smell like an Italian grandmother’s been cooking all day.