Olive Garden is one of my favorite restaurants. Of course, I can’t eat there every night…believe me I would if I could…so I have had to try some creative ways to capture those wonderfully Italian flavors in my own kitchen.

My family loves Olive Garden, too so trying to create something that rivals that delicious menu was going to be a challenge. I can’t tell you how happy I was to find this delicious baked ziti recipe. Not only is it an easy and quick meal – you can have it on the table in under and hour – it has all of the flavor of our favorite Olive Garden recipes!

This one only takes about 30 minutes to prep and then it bakes for another 20 minutes. It serves six, which is just perfect for my family, and I just can’t stress enough how very easy it is to make. My family loved it, which of course made me happy. I am always looking for good recipes that will thrill my family, particularly my picky eaters.

This one is most definitely a keeper. We didn’t have the first little bit of leftovers! If your family loves Italian dishes then I strongly recommend that you try this one. You might also want to check out this yummy slow cooker lasagna for those Italian food lovers.

Baked ziti is such a delicious dish and this one has all of those yummy traditional flavors like Italian herbs and several different cheeses. It also has chicken, which is pretty healthy. And, since it has meat, it’s an all in one dish for dinner.

You just serve a little side salad and maybe some garlic bread and that’s all you need to have a wholesome family meal. I do love quick and easy meals, especially ones that are all in one, like this amazing chicken enchilada casserole. You just can’t go wrong with a dish that serves as the entire meal!

Baked Ziti

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Serving size: 250 g (9 oz)

Cuisine: American

Type: Main Course

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small white onion, minced

2 cups of tomato sauce

400 g (14 oz) of minced chicken

2 tbsps. of dried Italian herbs

300 g (10 oz) of penne pasta

1 cup of ricotta cheese

2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded

2 eggs

Chopped parsley for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 190C (375F).

2. Mix ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of parmesan with eggs, salt and pepper.

3. Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, add garlic, dried herb and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes and cover with tomato sauce. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook pasta al dente. Mix it with cheese sauce and ⅔ of tomato sauce with chicken.

5. Transfer pasta into a casserole dish, cover with leftover tomato sauce and cheeses.

6. Bake for 20 minutes and serve sprinkled with parsley.

White meat chicken, cheese and Italian sauce give this baked ziti a delicious flavor


You make your own pasta sauce for this dish with garlic, tomato sauce and Italian seasonings

Cook pasta al dente for a more traditional Italian flavor and texture

Cover dish with mozzarella and other cheese and bake for just 20 minutes

Serve topped with parsley and alongside salad and rolls or garlic bread

Yield: 6 servings

Delicious Baked Ziti Recipe You Can Make in Less than an Hour

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My family loves Olive Garden, too so trying to create something that rivals that delicious menu was going to be a challenge. I can’t tell you how happy I was to find this delicious baked ziti recipe. Not only is it an easy and quick meal – you can have it on the table in under and hour – it has all of the flavor of our favorite Olive Garden recipes!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps. of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small white onion, minced
• 2 cups of tomato sauce
• 400 g (14 oz) of minced chicken
• 2 tbsps. of dried Italian herbs
• 300 g (10 oz) of penne pasta
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 eggs
• Chopped parsley for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F (190C).
2. Mix ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of parmesan with eggs, salt and pepper.
3. Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, add garlic, dried herb and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes and cover with tomato sauce. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook pasta al dente. Mix it with cheese sauce and ⅔ of tomato sauce with chicken.
5. Transfer pasta into a casserole dish, cover with leftover tomato sauce and cheeses.
6. Bake for 20 minutes and serve sprinkled with parsley.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

9 oz
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 18.4gSaturated Fat: 7.6gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 786mgCarbohydrates: 36.6gFiber: 1.5gSugar: 4.2gProtein: 41.5g