5 Chain Restaurants With the Best Baked Ziti, According to Chefs
Baked ziti is a year-round crowd-pleasing dish that even picky eaters love. It’s basically pasta with sauce and cheese baked together until bubbly, and it’s deliciously addicting. The combination of carbs and salt always hits the spot, and while it’s not complicated to make, some chains do it better than others. To highlight the best spots, Melanie Portman, chef and recipe developer with Droolrecipes.com, shares the top five chains that do the dish justice.
Olive Garden
Olive Garden’s Five Cheese Ziti al Forno is a satisfying dish that’s tasty and a great value. It comes with a soup or salad, and it’s listed on the buy one, take one home for free deal. “Olive Garden is the benchmark for chain versions,” says Chef Melanie. “The pasta-to-sauce ratio is calibrated — ricotta distributed throughout rather than sitting in one cold pocket in the middle, and the top gets a proper broil with mozzarella and parmesan.” She adds, “It’s a simple execution, consistent across locations.”
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Maggiano’s Little Italy’s baked ziti includes Italian sausage and the right amount of Mozzarella cheese, making this dish a winner, according to Chef Melanie. “The pasta goes in al dente, so it doesn’t turn to mush under the oven heat,” she explains. “This is the version I’d point someone toward if they wanted to understand what baked ziti is supposed to taste like.”
Fazoli’s
Fazoli’s offers Spicy Baked Ziti with Chicken, perfect for anyone who wants a bit of a kick. “It arrives still bubbling — the correct way baked ziti should come to the table,” says Chef Melanie.
Buca di Beppo
The baked ziti at Bucca di Beppo is a must-have. It features mozzarella, provolone & rosa sauce tossed & topped with ricotta. But come hungry. It’s made for sharing. According to Chef Melanie, “The sauce has a Sunday gravy quality to it, and the mozzarella layer on top is thick enough to pull apart when you serve it. For feeding a group, the value is hard to argue with.”
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
The deep-dish ziti at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse does not disappoint. It’s a hearty meal that includes a trio of meats: housemade meatballs, Italian sausage and pepperoni. It gets the stamp of approval from Chef Melanie. “This ziti is made with two sauces– a tangy marinara sauce and creamy alfredo–that take this dish to the next level,” she says.