Olive Garden Five Cheese Lasagna

Olive Garden Five Cheese Lasagna is a meatless dish that can be made ahead of time and reheated later. This is the perfect dish when you want a filling, and vegetarian meal.

a serving of homemade Olive Garden 5 cheese lasagna on a plate


Olive Garden Recipes are very popular, you can make copycat recipes that taste just like the restaurant at home. Five cheese lasagna makes for a hearty dinner.

When was the last time you had a really good lasagna? It seems that these days the popularity of lasagna is at a low point. Perhaps it’s because not enough folks are reading Garfield, or the anti-carb crusaders have taken over. However, the reason is definitely not that there aren’t any lasagna recipes around. There are plenty. Take this 5 cheese lasagna recipe from Olive Garden, for example. It’s incredible, and while it is not the quick, mid-week kind of dinner, it isn’t out of reach for any home to try making on the weekend, especially if you opt for the no-boil noodles. This vegetarian Olive Garden Lasagna recipe is memorable enough for a family get-together, and it will undoubtedly impress your neighbors at the next potluck dinner.

To Boil or Not to Boil?

Everyone wants to know the answer to this question. While boiling noodles for lasagna is as easy as making any other pasta, it is an extra step that can turn some people off from making lasagna altogether. Recently, companies developed pasta sheets that are oven-ready and do not require any boiling before using in a recipe.

No-boil noodles are not fake ‘instant’ noodles but are real ones that are pre-boiled and then dehydrated at the factory. In addition to saving a step, these noodles help to soak up any additional moisture and ensure that the lasagna cheese filling is not watery. The biggest downside of using oven-ready noodles is that you lose out on the starch from the freshly boiled pasta that helps to bind the ingredients, so the layers may not stick together as well. In the end, both no-boil and traditional noodles will work.

Let’s Talk About Layers

It’s no surprise that that cooks have strong opinions when it comes to layering a lasagna. After all, lasagna is all about creating the perfect cross-section of pasta, cheese, sauce.

The first decision you need to make when making lasagna is should you, or shouldn’t you, sauce the bottom of the pan. If you are using no-bake pasta, the answer is yes, or you will most likely wind up with a dried-out bottom layer. But if you boil the noodles yourself, some cooks prefer to start with pasta on the bottom of the greased pan to prevent the sauce from possibly scorching.

After sorting out the sauce issue, the next problem is deciding on the number of layers. While there is no ideal number, you do need to consider a few things. A good lasagna has equal parts of pasta, cheese, and sauce. Multiple thinner layers are generally better than fewer, thicker layers. The final layer should reach just below the top of the pan but not extend over the edge. Four to five layers, depending on the depth of the pan, are appropriate.

Tips for Making and Cooking 5 Cheese Lasagna

  • Use dry noodles. No one likes watery lasagna. If you are boiling the pasta sheets, make sure they are bone dry before layering.
  • Put the cheese directly on the pasta. It is easier to spread that way, and the sauce can fill in any gaps to form flat layers.
  • Make in advance. Lasagna is one of those dishes that can benefit from assembling ahead of time. Letting the lasagna rest an hour or two before cooking allows the flavors to combine.

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Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need

  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Milk
  • Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
  • Garlic
  • Eggs
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Grated Romano
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Grated Fontina cheese
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Lasagna noodles
  • Marinara sauce
Olive Garden 5 Cheese Lasagna ingredients

How to Make Olive Garden 5 Cheese Lasagna

  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
  2. Add flour and stir until well blended. Cook until the mixture bubbles.
  3. Add milk, stirring constantly with a wire whisk as the mixture comes to a simmer.
  4. Cook and stir until thickened.
    white sauce for cheese lasagna in a pan
  5. Refrigerate the cream sauce while mixing other ingredients.
  6. Drain tomatoes and place them in a large bowl.
  7. Add garlic, eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.
  8. Add cooled cream sauce and mix until well blended.
    cheese sauce filling for lasagna
  9. Refrigerate the cheese sauce mixture.
  10. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
  11. Cool noodles under cold water and drain.
  12. Place 3 noodles in a lightly oiled 9x13x2-inch baking dish, overlapping slightly.
  13. Spread cheese filling over the noodles.
  14. Sprinkle mozzarella and fontina cheese on top.
  15. Repeat pasta and cheese layering three more times.
  16. Top with lasagna noodles.
  17. Spread cheese sauce over top and cover lightly with foil.
  18. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
  19. Remove lasagna from the oven and keep it warm at least 30 minutes before serving.
  20. Serve cheese lasagna topped with hot marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.

The five uses of the cheese are:

  • Cheese Sauce Filling: Ricotta, Parmesan, Romano, Fontina
  • Lasagna Layers: Mozzarella and Fontina
  • Serving: Parmesan
homemade Olive Garden 5 Cheese Lasagna topped with marinara and parmesan

Love Olive Garden? Try these copycat recipes!

Favorite Italian Recipes

Check out more of my easy Italian recipes and the best Olive Garden recipes here on CopyKat!

a serving of homemade Olive Garden 5 cheese lasagna on a plate

Olive Garden Five Cheese Lasagna

Make the classic Olive Garden 5 Cheese Lasagna at home.
4.91 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Cheese Lasagna, Olive Garden Recipes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 392kcal

Ingredients

Cream Sauce

  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk

Cheese Sauce Filling

  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes oil packed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 3½ cups ricotta cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • ½ cup Romano cheese grated
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Lasagna Layers

  • 1 cup lasagna noodles spinach
  • 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • ¼ cup fontina cheese
  • 48 ounces marinara sauce
  • Parmesan cheese grated for garnish

Instructions

Cream Sauce

  • Melt butter over medium heat in heavy 1-quart saucepan.
  • Add flour and stir until well blended; cook until bubbly.
  • Add milk, stirring constantly with wire whisk as mixture comes to a simmer. Cook and stir until thickened (3-4 minutes).
  • Refrigerate the cream sauce while mixing other ingredients.

Cheese Sauce Filling

  • Drain tomatoes and place them in a 3-quart mixing bowl.
  • Add garlic, eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, Romano cheese, salt and pepper.
  • Add 1½ cups of cooled cream sauce and mix until well blended. Refrigerate and reserve ½ cup for later use.

Lasagna Assembly

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Cool under cold water and drain.
  • Place 3 lasagna noodles in a lightly oiled 9x13x2-inch baking dish, overlapping edges slightly.
  • Spread 1½ cups cheese sauce filling over noodles
  • Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup fontina cheese.
  • Repeat pasta and cheese layering three more times;
  • Top with remaining three lasagna noodles.
  • Spread ½ cup of reserved cheese sauce over top and cover lightly with foil.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
  • Remove lasagna from the oven and keep it warm at least 30 minutes before serving.
  • Serve topped with hot marinara and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

The lasagna can be refrigerated for a day before baking if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 429mg | Iron: 2.6mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lizzie

    5 stars
    This looks so good! The idea of making lasagna is a little scary to me. You’ve laid out the instructions really well so I think I will try this. Perfect for lent season. So I’m going to be brave and try it. Wish me luck!!

  2. PMorris

    I haven’t made lasagna for years due to time and the lack of a solid meatless recipe but my husband loves this Olive Garden lasagna. I plan to make this for his birthday next month.

    Thank you for this recipe!

4.91 from 10 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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