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Best Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Ziti Fritta Recipe

Ziti pasta is stuffed with five kinds of cheese and is deep-fried until crispy in this Olive Garden copycat. Serve it as an appetizer with a marinara dipping sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Izzy

Ingredients

For the Pasta

  • 1/2 lb Rigatoni or Ziti Pasta
  • water
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon oil

For the Filling (5 cheeses)

  • 1/4 cup ricotta
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup Romano cheese shredded

For Frying

  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • oil for frying

Optional for Serving

  • Marinara Sauce
  • Alfredo Sauce
  • chopped parsley

Instructions

Cook the Pasta

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt.
  • Add pasta and cook until al dente (2 minutes less than the recommended time from the package).
  • Drain the pasta and add olive oil. Stir to coat. Set aside to cool.

Make the Filling & Stuff the Pasta

  • While your pasta is cooking, you can make the filling. In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese, parmesan, and Romano cheese. Stir until combined.
  • Spoon the cheese mixture into a zip-top bag. Seal the bag and cut the corner.
  • Pipe the cheese mixture into one side of the rigatoni. Flip and pipe the other side to fill.
  • Place the filled rigatoni pasta on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.

Fry the Stuffed Pasta

  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot until it reaches 350°F.
  • Place eggs, flour, and bread crumbs into 3 separate bowls.
  • Place a stuffed rigatoni into the flour to coat, then shake off excess flour. Dip it in the beaten egg with a fork. Then roll the rigatoni in bread crumbs to coat. Repeat with the rest of the rigatoni.
  • Carefully lower 5-6 pieces of breaded rigatoni into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the cheeses just start to ooze out.
  • Remove to a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the rest of the rigatoni.
  • Sprinkle with parmesan and optional chopped parsley. Serve with marinara sauce or Alfredo sauce.

Notes

  • It’s best to use Rigatoni pasta as it’s shorter and wider than ziti.
  • Make sure the cream cheese is softened before mixing.
  • Cook extra pasta in case some rip and break apart.