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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Stuffed Ziti Fritta

    Published: Sep 29, 2023 · Modified: Nov 21, 2023 by Nicole · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta can now be served at home with this amazing copycat recipe, made from scratch. Add marinara as a dipping sauce and you've got a delicious side dish or appetizer!

    Plate of homemade stuffed zitti.

    Baked ziti frita was a fun challenge to make. We felt like we really captured this copycat recipe. Years ago I was at Olive Garden and got this dish and knew I had to try to make it myself.

    Dip them in this Homemade Spaghetti Sauce for extra flavor.

    Try our other fun pasta dishes like Five cheese Marinara, or Chicken Carbonara. You'll also want to check out our Air Fryer Gnocchi, and Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks for more fun Italian side dishes.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Helpful Hints
    • How to Serve Stuffed Ziti Fritta
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • Recipe
    • FAQ

    Ingredients

    Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.

    Labelled ingredients for ziti fritta.
    • Ziti- Buy standard size ziti. Or you can use a bigger noodle like rigatoni which is easier to work with.
    • Ricotta cheese- The same cheese that is used in other Italian dishes like lasagna.
    • Cream cheese- Like most times when cooking, be sure to soften the cream cheese. It's much easier to work with.
    • Mozzarella cheese- Shredded mozzarella cheese works great. If it's frozen make sure to thaw before using.
    • Parmesan cheese - Use grated or shredded parmesan cheese. You can also use a parmesan romano blend.
    • Garlic powder- Garlic adds it's own flavor while also enhancing the flavors of the cheeses and other ingredients.
    • Egg- Eggs created a great coating if you are trying to stick a breaded coating on food.
    • Basil- A great Italian seasoning that adds a lot of flavor to the dish. Use dried for convenience. We tested this recipe over and over and found it to be lacking. We discovered it needed some more spice and flavor, and the basil was perfect!!
    • Flour- All purpose white flour works the best. You can use a gluten free flour if needed.
    • Italian bread crumbs- Or you can use plain bread crumbs plus 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning. Found in most seasoning and baking isles.
    • Oil- The oil is used to fry the ziti. Use a canola or vegetable oil for best results.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta

    Making ziti fritta olive garden recipe is a process! These photos will help with step by step instructions.

    Mixing all the ingredients together for the filling.
    1. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the filling. Mix together until smooth.
    Pipping in the filling to each noodle.

    2. Place the filling in a bag and cute a small hole in the corner. Pipe the filling into a cooked ziti noodle until it is full.

    Dipping the noodle in the egg mixture.

    3. Roll the stuffed noodle in flour and make sure it's completely coated.

    Pulling the noodle out of the egg mixture.

    4. After the noodle is coated in flour, dip it in the egg, and then dip it in the Italian bread crumb mixture. Coat well.

    Laying the ziti on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.

    5. Place the the bread crumb coated ziti on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Freeze the ziti for 30 minutes.

    Frying the stuffed ziti fritta.

    6. Place the frozen prepared ziti in the heated oil. Cook for about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and enjoy hot!

    Hint: It's important not to skipping the freezing step. This helps them stay together when you fry them in the oil.

    Substitutions and Variations

    We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.

    • Rigatoni- As said before, you can use rigatoni instead of ziti. It makes it much easier to stuff each noodle. They also have a better noodle to filling ratio.
    • Gluten Free- Making this gluten free is easy! Simply use your favorite gluten free pasta, and then substitute the all-purpose flour, and italian bread crumbs for gluten free options. If you can't find gluten free Italian bread crumbs make your own by using gluten free bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning added.
    • Dairy Free- To make this recipe dairy free would be a little difficult but not impossible. You need to find a cheese substitute for all 4 cheeses. If you can only find a couple substitute cheeses, that's ok. Use what you can. The 4 cheeses add more complex flavors but are not all necessary for the success of the recipe.

    Helpful Hints

    Use a slotted spoon to remove the ziti from the oil. It's much easier to cook 4-6 at a time and then use the spoon to scoop them all out at once. It was really time consuming and difficult to cook one at a time and then remove a single ziti.

    As stated before, through trial and error and lots of recipe testing we learned that using rigatoni instead of ziti for this recipe was the better choice! Working with ziti proved to be quite time-consuming due to their small and challenging-to-fill shape. During our recipe testing, we also found that rigatoni offered a better noodle to filling ratio, delivering more flavor and cheese in every bite!

    How to Serve Stuffed Ziti Fritta

    This dish is so good with marinara! It's so fun to dip in to get that full flavor experience.

    Olive garden stuffed ziti fritta is also super tasty with added Alfredo. Just like the marinara sauce, add Alfredo as an additional dipping sauce. It will make for a creamy addition to an already creamy dish.

    Storage

    Ziti fritta olive garden is best served hot and crispy! If you need to store leftovers make sure to store in an air tight container for 2 days. We suggest reheating in the air fryer in order to get that delicious texture back. Air Fry for 2 minutes. You can even bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.

    You can freeze these in a freezer friendly container for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat in the air fryer or oven. This can help you make them ahead of time!

    Top tip

    Be sure to tap off any extra flour before putting in the egg mixture. Flour bubbles will form if there are too much flour!

    Stuffed Ziti Fritta on a plate.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Chick Fil A mac and cheese in a single serve bowl ready to be eaten.
      Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese
    • plate of air fryer mozzarella sticks.
      Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
    • Plate of four golden brown zucchini fritters
      Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
    • bowl of air fryer gnocchi.
      Air Fryer Gnocchi

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with Stuffed Ziti Fritta:

    • rasta pasta in a pan.
      The BEST Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta
    • Bowl of spicy vodka pasta with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
      Gigi Hadid Pasta
    • Plated rigatoni noodles with 5 cheese marinara on top.
      Five Cheese Marinara
    • Sauce mixed into a pan of chicken carbonara
      Chicken Carbonara

    Recipe

    Stuffed Ziti Fritta

    Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta, a great copycat recipe of one of your favorite dishes. Make this tasty appetizer or side dish and dip it in marinara sauce or Alfredo sauce!
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    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    0 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
    Servings 8
    Calories/serving 314 kcal

    Equipment

    • Sauce Pan
    • Slotted Spoon
    • Parchment Paper
    • sheet pan
    • Large Mixing Bowl

    Ingredients
     

    For the ziti:

    • 8 ounce ziti or rigatoni (see note)
    • ¼ cup ricotta cheese
    • 2 ounce cream cheese
    • ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
    • ¼ cup parmesan cheese (or parmesan romano blend)
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon basil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    For frying:

    • 2 eggs whisked
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup Italian bread crumbs or plain bread crumbs plus 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ cup parmesan optional
    • oil for frying

    Instructions

    • Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to prevent them from sticking to each other.
    • While ziti is cooking, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, basil and salt together in a small bowl.
      Mixing all the ingredients together for the filling.
    • Place cheese mixture in a ziploc bag and snip off a tiny corner if using ziti (if using rigatoni, snip off a little more for a bigger hole). Fill ziti noodles with the mixture. Squeeze into one side, flip the noodle around and fill the other side. See photos above for reference.
      Pipping in the filling to each noodle.
    • Place eggs in a bowl and beat until smooth. Place flour in a bowl. Place Italian bread crumbs and garlic powder in another bowl and mix.
    • Place ziti in the flour bowl, shake the flour off, then move to the egg bowl. Make sure the ziti is completely covered in egg then place in the bread crumb bowl and roll around until thoroughly covered. See pictures above for a great visual. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet with some space between each ziti. Freeze for 20 minutes (30 minutes for rigatoni).
      Pulling the noodle out of the egg mixture.
    • 15 minutes before removing from the freezer, heat oil in a small saucepan to 350- 375°. For best results, make sure the oil has 15 minutes to preheat and get to the right temperature. The oil will have a few small bubbles coming up and when you sprinkle a few drops of water in, it will pop and sizzle. If the oil is smoking, it is too hot.
    • Place the ziti in the oil and cook for about 1 minute, turning it over and keeping the ziti from touching each other. If your oil cools off, they may need to cook a little longer. Allow the oil to reheat if this happens.
      Frying the stuffed ziti fritta.
    • Using a slotted spoon, remove the ziti and place on a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Serve warm with marinara.

    Notes

    • I highly recommend making these with rigatoni instead of ziti. The ziti takes a very long time to fill, as you have to use a tiny hole and it can be difficult. During taste testing we also decided the rigatoni tasted better. It was cheesier and more flavorful and had a better noodle to cheese ratio.
    • Make sure to tap off the excess flour from the ziti before moving the noodles into the egg, otherwise little flour bubbles will form and parts of the noodle won't be covered in egg when rolled in the bread crumbs.
    • I found it easiest to fill my slotted spoon with a pile of noodles, then lower them into the oil. This made it so the oil didn't splash and I didn't have to drop them in. 
    • While the noodles are frying, make sure you turn them over and keep them from attaching to each other.
    • These are best enjoyed fresh and hot. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 2 minutes or bake at 375° F for 5 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1scoopCalories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 12gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 458mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 143IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 159mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was in the comments below
    Tag us on Instagram!We love seeing people make our recipes. Mention @simplyscrumptiouseats_

    FAQ

    What is stuffed ziti fritta?

    Stuffed Ziti Fritta is cheese stuffed ziti noodles that have been coated with a flour, egg, and Italian bread crumb mixture and then fried on the stove top until lightly toasted.

    How to make stuffed ziti fritta?

    This recipe is easy to make. Mix together softened cream cheese, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Add the filling to the middles of cooked ziti noodles. Coat the noodles in flour, egg, and then Italian bread crumbs. Deep fry in hot oil for 1 minute.

    Is stuffed Ziti Fritta Vegetarian?

    Yes. This recipe is vegetarian. The filling in the middle is made of an assortment of cheeses but no meat is included.

    What's in Stuff Ziti Fritta?

    The ziti noodles are stuffed with a cream cheese mixture that includes mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. It's also coated in an Italian bread crumb coating.

    How many calories is in stuffed ziti fritta olive garden?

    There are 500 calories in 1 serving of Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta. But one serving of this recipe is approximately 314 kcal.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Andrea

      September 30, 2023 at 12:06 am

      5 stars
      Love this copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta. Made it with the rigitoni substitution. Loved dipping them in marinara sauce.

      Reply

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    Hi, we are Nicole and Andrea! As busy moms our favorite meals are easy, nutritious and delicious. While we love eating nourishing meals, we also strongly believe in moderating them with yummy desserts! We love hiking, going to the beach and doing Spartans.

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