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Copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta

Olive Garden is clearly one of my favorite restaurants and this Stuffed Ziti Fritta is my favorite appetizer! Cheese filled noodles fried and dipped in alfredo & marinara - yum!
4.62 from 31 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

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).
  • 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 
  • 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. 
  • 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 
  • 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

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. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!