five cheese ziti al forno.

i took really terrible pictures of the food, so i won't post them. this was the menu board for our olive garden dinner. my sister made the zuppa toscana which also turned out delicious!

{this recipe has a lot of cheeses... all of which can be found at smith's marketplace. it looks complicated, but it's really SUPER easy and very convenient that you can make two parts and put them in the fridge until you're ready to make dinner. it's great for a party or pot luck. says it serves 6-8, but it could serve 10 easily.}

for the ziti sauce
4 cups tomato sauce
2 cups alfredo sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons fontina cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

for the ziti topping
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons romano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

remaining ingredients
1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

directions
combining all ingredients for the ziti sauce in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. in a medium-size bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients for the ziti topping. add the garlic, oil, and parsley and mix until thoroughly blended. cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

when ready to prepare the whole dish: preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or large casserole with non-stick spray. prepare the pasta according to package directions. Pour 1/2 cup of prepared ziti sauce into the prepared dish, and spread it evenly over the bottom using a spoon. when pasta has finished cooking, drain the water and pour the hot pasta into the bowl of remaining sauce. mix thoroughly; pour into the baking dish. spread 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the pasta and sauce mixture. top the mozzarella with the prepared ziti topping, spreading evenly.

place pan on center oven rack and bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes. remove and serve immediately.