Description
Enjoy a hearty and comforting Olive Garden Baked Ziti copycat recipe that features perfectly cooked pasta, savory Italian sausage, a blend of cheeses, and a rich marinara sauce. This skillet-to-oven dish is ideal for a family dinner, delivering cheesy, saucy goodness with simple ingredients and a straightforward cooking process.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Oils
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauces and Seasonings
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cheeses
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup asiago cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup romano cheese, shredded
- ½ cup small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 16 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pasta and Liquids
- 12 ounces ziti pasta
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F to prepare for baking the ziti at the end.
- Cook the sausage: In a large non-stick, oven-safe skillet, cook the ground Italian sausage over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces. Once cooked through, remove with a slotted spoon to drain fat and set aside.
- Sauté garlic and spices: In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for about one minute until fragrant.
- Add sauces and cheeses: Stir in the marinara sauce along with parmesan, asiago, and romano cheeses, mixing well to combine flavors.
- Add pasta and seasonings: Pour in water, ziti pasta, salt, and Italian seasoning. Stir well to evenly distribute everything in the skillet.
- Cook pasta: Cover the skillet and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, until the ziti is nearly tender, but still slightly firm to avoid overcooking in the oven.
- Combine remaining ingredients: Stir in the cooked Italian sausage, heavy cream, and cottage cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add mozzarella cheese: If using the oven-safe skillet, evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top of the mixture.
- Transfer to baking dish if needed: If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer half of the mixture to a baking dish, top with half the mozzarella, then add the remaining ziti mixture and top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake: Place the skillet or baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and bubbles. Continue baking until the cheese turns lightly golden brown.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and let the baked ziti cool for a few minutes before serving to allow flavors to set.
- Enjoy: Serve warm and enjoy this delicious Olive Garden-inspired baked ziti with family or friends.
Notes
- For best results, use a large oven-safe skillet to minimize transfer and cleanup.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, make sure to use a deep baking dish to hold all ingredients comfortably.
- The pasta should be slightly undercooked before baking to ensure perfect texture after finishing in the oven.
- Adjust the red pepper flakes according to your spice tolerance.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger gatherings, just use a larger pan.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven for best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 680
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
