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One Pot Olive Garden’s Five Cheese Ziti Copy Cat tastes even better than Ziti dishes you’d order from a restaurant! This One Pot meal is a fast, easy, dump and go dinner that won’t leave you with a sink full of dishes! All it takes is a handful of ingredients to create this Pasta dish.
You will love this one-pot Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno!
One Pot Meals are exactly what the name implies. A meal, made all in one pot.
You know what is even better than a One Pot Meal? A Dump and Go One Pot Meal. This Creamy Ziti has Z-E-R-O prep.
Need to help your child with their math homework and make dinner? No problem. You are 30 minutes away from amazing pasta that I happen to like even better than Olive Garden’s 5 Cheese Ziti.
One pot Five Cheese Ziti inspiration
This dish was originally made in the Instant Pot. My Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti Recipe has (as of today) been pinned over 32 THOUSAND TIMES since I posted the recipe one month ago!
Along with all of those repins came a lot of messages with the question ‘I don’t have an Instant Pot! How do I make this without it?’
So, all of you Instant Pot-less people, here it is and you’re welcome. 🙂
When I tested this recipe out on the stovetop, I was planning on taking it to a friend who had just had surgery. Let’s just say I am glad I purposely made some extra because my husband and I could not stop eating it.
This is every bit as good as the Instant Pot version.. maybe even a dash better. ?
Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno (Olive Garden Copycat) ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp minced garlic dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz ziti pasta dry
- 1 cup red pasta sauce
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
How to make Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno
- In a large skillet, mix together broth, cream, salt, pepper, minced garlic and dry ziti pasta.
- Cover and heat over medium high heat until it starts to simmer. Once it starts to simmer uncover the skillet and let it simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the pasta is aldente.
- Turn the heat down to low and add in the red pasta sauce. I like to use the Hunt’s brand four-cheese pasta sauce.
- Lastly, fresh parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese are gradually added to the skillet. As the cheese melts it will thicken the sauce up.
- Let the pasta cool for 5 or so minutes and the sauce will soak into the pasta a bit and the sauce will thicken even more.
- Serve and be amazed at how tasty it is for the amount of work it took to get onto the table.
How to serve 5 Cheese Ziti Al Forno
Serve your ziti as is, topped with bread crumbs for an extra crunch and even garnish with some fresh basil (yum!) I always serve it will some grilled chicken for protein and a side salad to balance out the meal.
If you want to really mix things up a bit, try adding some pepperoni’s and make a Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake.
How to store Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno
To store leftover Five Cheese Ziti, you should first allow it to cool down to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the pasta to an airtight container or a sealable plastic bag. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
If you need to store the pasta for a longer period, you can also freeze it. To freeze, transfer the cooled pasta to an airtight container or a sealable freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Make sure to label the container or bag with the date and name of the dish.
When you are ready to reheat the Five Cheese Ziti, you can either microwave it in short intervals, stirring occasionally, or reheat it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. You may want to add a splash of milk or cream to the pasta before reheating to help keep it moist and creamy.
One Pot One Pot 5 Cheese Ziti Bake Ziti Pasta Bake
(Printable Recipe Below)
One Pot Creamy Ziti Pasta tastes even better than Ziti dishes you’d order from a restaurant! This One Pot meal is a fast, easy, dump and go dinner that won’t leave you with a sink full of dishes! All it takes is a handful of ingredients to create this Pasta dish.
PIN ME!!
Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno FAQs
No, but chicken, ground beef or ground sausage pair well with the dish!
The Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno at Olive Garden is made with a blend of five different cheeses: mozzarella, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, and fontina. The cheeses are melted together to create a creamy and flavorful sauce that coats the ziti pasta.
No, it is not.
This depends on how large of a serving you eat- you can find the nutritional information at the bottom of this post.
The term “al forno” is an Italian phrase that means “baked in the oven”. When a dish is prepared “al forno” style, it typically means that it is baked in the oven until it is hot and bubbly, and sometimes topped with a crispy layer of bread crumbs or cheese.
With my recipe, we are making things easy and skipping this step but feel free to cook your pasta further in the oven with a crispy bread crumb topping.
Lasagna is a layered pasta dish with cheese, meat and sauce while al forno can be any type of pasta baked in a dish.
Want more great recipes? Check these out!!
- Instant Pot Cashew Chicken and Noodles
- Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo
- Pulled Teriyaki Chicken Sliders
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
- Chicken Wraps
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Alfredo Sauce
- Pressure Cooker Steak
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Asiago Bagel
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Olive Garden 5 Cheese Ziti Al Forno (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp minced garlic dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz ziti pasta dry
- 1 cup red pasta sauce
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and dry pasta.
- Cover and heat over medium high heat until it starts to simmer.
- Once it is simmering, take the lid off and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the pasta is aldente.
- When the pasta is cooked, turn the heat down to medium low.
- Add in the red pasta sauce and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add in the cheese and stir to melt the cheese into the sauce. The cheese will thicken the sauce as it melts.
- Let the pasta rest for 5 or so minutes to let the pasta absorb a little of the sauce and then serve.
Could you substitute half and half for the heavy whipping cream? Thank you!
Hi Stephanie! I wouldn’t recommend substituting half and half. Half-and-half tends to separate and curdle, due to the lower fat content. If you are looking for a skinnier option, I would suggest giving evaporated milk a try. Hope this helps!
Has anyone tried to freeze this? Wondering if it would work to take to recoverying family.
Hi Leslie- I haven’t ever frozen this, I’m not sure how it would reheat. Sorry I don’t have a better answer! I’ll freeze some next time I make it to try it out.
Can I use whole milk rather than heavy cream?
Hi JoAnn, Whole milk doesn’t have enough fat to stabilize it while boiling. It will most likely curdle. If you are looking for a more health conscious option to the Heavy Cream I would suggest giving Evaporated Milk a try. Hope this helps!
Hi, do you have a baking recipe for this? I need to make about 8x this amount, and am unsure about the best way to go about it.
Delicious recipe, by the way!
Might a large batch work in a large pot, such as the size for boiling potatoes?
Corinne- I apologize for taking so long to get back with you!! I would suggest either a large pot, like for potatoes, or making a couple of doubled batches. Hopefully it works out well for you!
This dish was a huge hit with my family! I was surprised how juicy and flavorful it was. The only change I made was to add 1\4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Thank you for sharing!