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Olive Garden baked ziti recipe
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5 from 1 vote

Olive Garden Baked Ziti (copycat)

Recreate Olive Garden's Baked Ziti at home with this copycat recipe made entirely in one pot for a quick and easy restaurant quality meal at home!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: pasta
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flake
  • 28 ounces marinara sauce
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
  • ¼ cup asiago cheese, shredded
  • ¼ cup romano cheese, shredded
  • 12 ounces ziti pasta
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup small curd cottage cheese
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 16 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F.
  • In a very large non-stick oven-safe skillet (if you have one), add Italian Sausage and cook. Use a large wooden spoon or spoon to break the meat up into small bite sized pieces. When it is cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan, draining any excess fat. Set the meat aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic and red pepper flake and cook for about a minute.
  • To the pan add in marinara, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup asiago cheese and ¼ cup Romano cheese. Stir to incorporate.
  • Add in water and ziti and season with 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
  • Cover the skillet and cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes. When the ziti is almost tender, it’s done. You don’t want the ziti entirely tender because it’ll continue cooking in the oven.
  • Stir in the cooked Italian Sausage, heavy cream and cottage cheese. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  • If you have an oven-safe skillet, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.
  • If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, transfer half the mixture to a baking dish. Top with half the cheese. Then add remaining ziti and top with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted and bubbly. Continue baking until the cheese is lightly golden brown.
  • Allow the Skillet Baked Ziti to cool for a few minutes before serving.
  • Enjoy!