Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno

This Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno is the epitome of comfort food. Creamy, velvety, this ziti is loaded with Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Provolone, Ricotta, topped with a crispy panko topping and finally baked to perfection. Trust me, this pasta is a dish you just can’t miss!

I’m sure you’re all familiar with the classic baked ziti, or at least have seen photos of this vibrant, rich dish. Today we’re nixing that meaty sauce for something a little more cheesy and creamy. How have I gone this far without yet mentioning all the cheese we’re using today?

Romano, provolone, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan, what do all these have in common? Well first of all they’re delicious – that’s a given, but more importantly they’re all found here, in our delicious five cheese ziti al forno. Each one is important in its own right for giving us some richness, texture, flavor, and cheese pulls!

What Is Ziti?

Not super familiar with this particular shaped pasta? It is smaller than rigatoni and similar in shape to penne, rather with straight cut edges instead of diagonal. You’ll find this pasta is usually used in baked pasta dishes as it holds up well to those necessary thick sauces and all the heat that happens in our oven.

What Does Al Forno Mean?

Al forno just simply means in the oven! It can refer to breads, pizzas, and in our case today – pasta dishes! Things like lasagna, traditional meaty sauce baked ziti, and baked mac and cheese all fall into this delicious category.

Ingredients

• Pasta – We’re using ziti today! You can find it at any grocery store.
• Butter – Unsalted as always, we’ll get plenty of sodium from our cheeses.
• Garlic – We’re using 4 whole cloves – believe me it’s worth it! If using minced just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
• Flour – All purpose to thicken up our sauce just a bit. Be sure to allow it to get a bit golden in your pan so that that raw flour flavor cooks off.
• Half and half – Half and half is equal parts whole milk and light cream. It averages 10 to 12% fat which allows our sauce to be velvety and rich. You can cut back on the richness if you’d like.
• Cheese – Parmesan, Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Ricotta. Be sure to pick it up all fresh, for the cheeses that need to be grated or shredded I prefer to do it fresh myself.
• Sauce – Marinara sauce, you can make it fresh or do what I did and just pick up a couple jars!
• Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.

Topping

• Breadcrumbs – I like to use panko, it guarantees a super crisp perfectly crunchy layer on top.
• Cheese – Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, save some from the amount we poor into the baked ziti sauce.
• Seasoning – Italian seasoning to add some extra herby flavor and color to our dish.
• Butter – Unsalted as always, this will brown beautifully.

What Else Can I Use In My Ziti?

The best thing about this dish – aside from the flavor – is how versatile it is. Add some of your favorite ingredients and really make this pasta your own.

• Mushrooms
• Beef
• Bell peppers
• Leeks

How To Make Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno

1. Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
3. Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet then add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and stir. Add the half and half and whisk well. Stir in the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, the sauce should thicken.  Stir in all the cheeses but reserve 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add the marinara sauce and Italian seasoning and stir well. Bring to a boil.
4. Make topping: In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs together with the butter, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
5. Toss the pasta with the sauce: Pour the sauce over the ziti and toss well. Transfer the pasta to a casserole dish, top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and then the panko topping.
6. Bake: Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Ziti

• Be sure your ziti is saucy! As it bakes away in the oven we’re going to lose some of that all important moisture so be sure it’s covered in lots of sauce before baking.
• Like I said above, it’s so important to shred your own cheese rather than buying it pre-shredded! It will melt better and taste just as it should.
• Undercook your pasta just by a bit, a minute or so, this will ensure it doesn’t get mushy in the oven.

How To Make Your Own Marinara Sauce

If you have a bit of extra time and you’d like to take this recipe into the stratosphere then why not make your own sauce? It really doesn’t require too much extra effort and you can tweak it till the flavors suit your taste buds perfectly. Follow the recipe here.

How To Make Your Own Breadcrumbs

Sometimes I find myself out of breadcrumbs at the worst time, or I open up the can and they smell stale, don’t let these little hiccups get in the way of this amazing dish! Here’s my fool proof recipe for making fresh, homemade breadcrumbs.

All you need are 10 slices of bread, ground down in a food processor, from there just:

1. Spread the breadcrumbs on a baking tray and place in your preheated oven.
2. Bake at 300 F degrees for 10 minutes or until the crumbs are golden and completely dry, stir occasionally.
3. Cool completely on the baking sheet before incorporating.

Storing Leftovers

Fridge

Transfer leftover baked ziti to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.

Freezer

Freeze in a tightly sealed dish for up to a month. When ready to serve, take it out of the freezer the night before and thaw it in the refrigerator. Bake according to instructions.

Craving More Italian Favorites?

• Easy Bruschetta Recipe
• Chicken Parmesan
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Baked Penne With Italian Sausage
• Beef Ragu
• Aglio E Olio
• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Easy Pasta Alfredo