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Copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta

Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta is my favorite Olive Garden appetizer! Cheese filled noodles - breaded, fried and dipped in alfredo & marinara - yum! How can you say anything but YUM?!
4.60 from 32 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 570 kcal

Ingredients
  

Filling

  • 1/4 cup ricotta
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan & Romano shredded
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 tbsp basil chopped

Breading

Other

Instructions
 

Making the Pasta

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 12 minutes (1-2 min less than box directions).
    1/2 box Rigatoni or Ziti pasta
  • Drain and rinse the noodles to cool them down and set aside.

Make the cheese filling

  • While pasta is cooking, mix together ricotta cheese, parmesan, romano, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella and chopped basil until mixed together 
    1/4 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan & Romano, 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 tbsp basil
  • Place in a ziplock bag and set inside refrigerator

Stuffing & Breading the Noodles

  • In one bowl, combine the beaten eggs with the Italian seasoning. In another bowl, combine the Italian breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese. 
    2 eggs, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan
  • Remove the cheese mixture from the refrigerator. Snip the very end of the ziploc bag (or use a piping tool) and squeeze the cheese mixture into the noodles. Set each stuffed noodle on a cutting board.
  • Roll each stuffed noodle in the egg wash and then move to the breadcrumb mix and coat thoroughly. Set noodles back on cutting board.

Frying the Pasta in Oil

  • Preheat the oil to 375 degrees F - bubbles will start to form - if you sprinkle a drop of water in the oil - it will pop 
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • Fry stuffed & breaded noodles for about 3 minutes or until they become dark golden brown - flipping halfway through. You'll want to keep them a couple inches apart - do not crowd them.

Frying the Pasta in the Air Fryer

  • Lay out breaded pasta tubes in air fryer so they are not touching
  • Spritz generously with olive oil spray
  • Air fry at 375 for 5 minutes - flipping halfway through. Spritz again with olive oil when you flip.

Serving the Ziti Fritta

  • Serve with sides of alfredo and marina for dipping
    1/4 cup alfredo sauce, 1/4 cup marinara or pizza sauce

Notes

  • You can use Ziti or Rigatoni - just get the one with the largest opening. I found Rigatoni at the grocery store that worked great. 
  • Be sure to soften the cream cheese so it mixes together more easily. 

Nutrition

Serving: 3noodlesCalories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 20gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 913mgPotassium: 287mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 294mgIron: 3mg
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