My favorite meal at Olive Garden is their five cheese ziti. With a family of six we don’t eat out very often, so I wanted to learn how to make my favorite OG meal at home. After trying a few different recipes I came up with The Best Five Cheese Ziti you will ever have!
My husband requests I make this for any gathering and my kids cheer when they hear I’m making it for dinner. Paired with garlic bread and it’s carb heaven!
Ziti Sauce
The sauce is what makes this meal so good. I used the same alfredo recipe that I use for my 5 Star Chicken Alfredo mixed with a jar of store bought Marinara. The sauce has butter, parmesan, garlic, heavy whipping cream and marinara.
The very best part about making this ziti at home is that it cost me a fraction of the price of eating out. I had dinner on the table in about 40 minutes from start to finish for around $1.50 per serving.
How to Make Five Cheese Ziti
- Start out by cooking the noodles according to the package directions.
- While the water for your noodles is coming to a boil melt the butter in a medium pan on medium/high heat. I use salted butter and cook until it is melted and bubbly, stirring frequently.
- Add half (1 cup) of the whipping cream and freshly minced garlic into the pan, boil rapidly until it starts to thicken.
- Then reduce to medium heat and add half of the parmesan cheese (1/2 cup). After the mixture has thickened, add the other half of the whipping cream and parmesan cheese, stir to mix.
- Pour the marinara into the pan with the homemade alfredo and stir until combined. Set the heat to a very low simmer until the noodles are finished. Stir occasionaly.
- Once the noodles are finished drain the water and pour them into a 9×13 glass dish or pan. Pour the sauce over top and add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Carefully mix until the noodles are covered in sauce.
- Spread the remaining cheese over top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
The Best Five Cheese Ziti Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 TBSP butter
- 2 cups cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- (1) 28 ounce jar of marinara
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 16 ounces uncooked ziti noodles
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Meanwhile melt butter in a medium pan on medium/high heat until it is all melted, stirring frequently.
- Add 1 cup of the whipping cream and the minced garlic into the pan, boil rapidly until it starts to thicken. Then reduce to medium heat and add half of the parmesan cheese.
- After the mixture has thickened, add the other half of the whipping cream and parmesan cheese, stir to mix.
- Pour the marinara into the pan with the alfredo and stir until combined. Set to low simmer until the noodles are finished. Stir occasionaly.
- Once the noodles are finished drain the water and pour them into a 9x13 glass dish or pan. Pour the sauce over top and add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Carefully mix until the noodles are covered.
- Spread the remaining cheese over top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 641mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 10g
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