Olive Garden Baked Ziti Copycat Recipe
This Olive Garden baked ziti recipe brings the restaurant’s saucy, cheese-topped pasta to your own oven, and it’s ready in about an hour.
It’s a good choice for a weeknight when you want something filling without a lot of fuss.
Why I Love This Recipe
The ratio of ricotta to marinara here keeps things creamy without feeling heavy. The pasta holds its texture instead of turning to mush, because you pull it out of the boiling water while it still has a little bite.
The mozzarella on top browns and bubbles into those satisfying crispy edges, which is the part everyone reaches for first. This is the version I keep coming back to on cold nights.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) ziti pasta – Penne works if you can’t find ziti; both hold sauce in the ridges
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef – 80/20 gives the most flavor; swap for Italian sausage for a spicier result
- 1 jar (24 oz / 680g) marinara sauce – Use a plain, good-quality jarred sauce; the cheese adds plenty of richness
- 1 cup (240ml) water – Loosens the sauce slightly so the pasta finishes cooking in the dish
- 15 oz (425g) whole-milk ricotta – Whole-milk ricotta stays creamier than part-skim as it bakes
- 1 large egg – Binds the ricotta so it doesn’t weep or separate
- 1 tsp garlic powder – Goes into the ricotta mixture for background warmth
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning – Divided between the meat sauce and the ricotta layer
- ½ tsp salt – For the ricotta mixture
- ½ tsp black pepper – For the ricotta mixture
- 2 cups (200g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella – Low-moisture is key; fresh mozzarella releases too much water
- ½ cup (50g) grated Parmesan – Adds a salty, nutty top layer; the pre-grated canister kind melts fine here
- Fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley – For finishing; either works
Variations / Substitutions
- Italian sausage instead of ground beef – Swap in 1 lb (450g) of mild or hot Italian sausage, removed from the casing, for a fennel-forward, spicier sauce.
- Ground turkey – Works as a leaner swap; the sauce will be a little lighter in body, so add an extra pinch of Italian seasoning to make up for the milder meat flavor.
- Cottage cheese instead of ricotta – Drain it first through a fine-mesh strainer for 10 minutes; the texture is slightly grainier but the flavor is close enough that most people won’t notice.
- Dairy-free – Use a plant-based ricotta and dairy-free shredded mozzarella; the top won’t brown quite as deeply, but it will still melt and bubble.
- Spicy version – Add ½ tsp red pepper flakes directly to the meat sauce while it simmers for a noticeable kick without changing the recipe structure.
- No meat – Skip the ground beef entirely and add 2 cups of baby spinach to the sauce in the last minute of simmering; it wilts down quickly.
If you like this kind of baked pasta, you might also enjoy a Copycat Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno recipe.
How To Make Baked Ziti
Step 1: Brown the Meat
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), then get a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 lb (450g) ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Cook for about 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the meat has some brown color on the bottom of the pan.
Drain off any excess fat, then pour in the 1 jar (24 oz / 680g) marinara sauce and the 1 cup (240ml) water. Add ½ tsp of the dried Italian seasoning, stir everything together, and let it simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes. The sauce will look thin at this point, which is fine; it thickens as the pasta bakes.
Don’t skip the water. Dry pasta needs that extra liquid to finish cooking inside the dish, and without it you’ll end up with chewy, undercooked spots.
Step 2: Boil the Ziti
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the 1 lb (450g) ziti and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package directions, which is usually around 7 to 8 minutes total. The pasta should still be quite firm in the center when you bite into it.
Drain the ziti and return it to the pot. Pour the meat sauce over the pasta and stir until everything is evenly coated.
Step 3: Mix the Ricotta Layer
In a medium bowl, stir together the 15 oz (425g) whole-milk ricotta, the 1 large egg, the 1 tsp garlic powder, the remaining ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, the ½ tsp salt, and the ½ tsp black pepper until smooth. The mixture should look thick and creamy, with no streaks of yolk running through it.
Step 4: Layer the Dish
Lightly oil a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Spread half the sauced ziti into an even layer across the bottom. Dollop the entire ricotta mixture over the pasta in spoonfuls, then spread it gently into a rough layer; it doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth. Spoon the remaining pasta on top and press it down lightly.
Scatter the 2 cups (200g) shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, then finish with the ½ cup (50g) grated Parmesan.
The visible ricotta peeking out around the edges will puff slightly as it bakes, which is exactly what you want.
Step 5: Bake and Garnish
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the edges have turned a deep golden brown. Pull it from the oven, then tear a small handful of fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley over the top and serve straight from the dish while the cheese is still stretchy.
Recipe Tips
- Salt the pasta water properly. It should taste faintly of the sea, about 1 tbsp of salt per 4 quarts (3.8 liters) of water. Under-salted pasta makes the whole dish taste flat, and there’s no fixing it later.
- Don’t skip the foil for the first half of baking. Covering the dish traps steam, which finishes cooking the pasta through. If you bake it uncovered the whole time, the top browns too fast before the inside heats through.
- Let it sit 10 minutes before serving. The layers settle and the ricotta firms up just enough to hold together when you scoop it out.
- Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of water to the portion before covering and microwaving, or the pasta will dry out.
Bake times by pan size (at 375°F / 190°C, covered then uncovered):
| Pan Size | Covered | Uncovered |
|---|---|---|
| 9×13 in (23×33 cm) | 20 mins | 15 to 20 mins |
| Two 8×8 in (20×20 cm) | 18 mins | 12 to 15 mins |
| Deep 9×9 in (23×23 cm) | 25 mins | 18 to 20 mins |
How To Store
- Refrigerate – Cover the baking dish tightly or transfer portions to an airtight container. It keeps well for up to 4 days.
- Reheating – Reheat individual portions in the microwave with 2 to 3 tbsp of water added, covered loosely, for 2 to 3 minutes. For a full dish, cover with foil and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
What To Serve With Baked Ziti
A simple green salad dressed with red wine vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cheese in a way that a plain Caesar can’t. Crusty garlic bread is the obvious companion, and for good reason: the open crumb soaks up the extra sauce from the bottom of the dish. If you want something lighter, roasted broccolini with a squeeze of lemon balances the fattiness of the ricotta layer without competing with the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assemble this the night before and bake it the next day?
Yes. Cover and refrigerate the assembled, unbaked dish for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the covered baking time since you’re starting from cold.
Can I freeze baked ziti?
Yes, freeze it before baking for the best texture. Wrap the unbaked assembled dish tightly in foil, freeze for up to 2 months, and bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 20 minutes.
My cheese isn’t browning on top. What’s wrong?
Uncover the dish and switch the oven to broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely. The cheese goes from pale to scorched faster than you’d expect, so don’t walk away.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, but use 2 separate 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dishes rather than one deeper pan. A very deep single dish bakes unevenly in the center.
—
Baked Ziti Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until browned, drain excess fat, add the marinara sauce, water, and ½ tsp Italian seasoning, and simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes.
- Boil the ziti in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than package directions (about 7 to 8 minutes), drain, and stir into the meat sauce.
- Whisk together the ricotta, egg, garlic powder, remaining ½ tsp Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Spread half the sauced ziti in a lightly oiled 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, dollop and spread the ricotta mixture on top, add the remaining pasta, then scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are deep golden brown, then tear fresh basil or parsley over the top and serve.
