Five Cheese Lasagna – Easy Olive Garden Copycat

This Olive Garden Five Cheese Lasagna is a creamy, cheesy baked dish with layers of pasta, rich ricotta filling, and melty marinara. It’s perfect for cold nights, meal prepping, or when you’ve got a crowd to feed. Not exactly fast, but it’s make-ahead friendly and totally worth it.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 30 mins
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Flavor: cheesy, creamy, saucy
• Great for: Sunday dinners, leftovers, feeding lots of people

Why I Like This Recipe

I made this one on a day where I had no business cooking anything complicated — just wanted something warm and full of cheese. Did I regret all the steps halfway through? Yes. But when I pulled it out of the oven, let it sit, and cut that first clean square? Yeah. No notes. 10/10.

Ingredients

Cream Sauce:

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

Cheese Sauce Filling:

• ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 3½ cups ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Romano cheese
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Lasagna Layers:

• 1 cup lasagna noodles (uncooked, about 12)
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup Fontina cheese
• 48 oz marinara sauce
• Extra Parmesan for serving

How To Make Five Cheese Lasagna

1. Make the cream sauce: Butter + flour in a pan. Cook ‘til it bubbles. Slowly whisk in milk and cook ‘til thick. Let it cool down completely — fridge it if you’ve got time.
2. Make the cheese filling: In a big bowl, mix everything: ricotta, eggs, cheese, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, and about 1½ cups of the cooled cream sauce. Save ½ cup of the mix for later.
3. Boil the noodles: Cook them like normal, rinse with cold water so they stop cooking, and drain well.
4. Layer it up: Oil a 9×13 dish. Start with noodles, then filling, then mozzarella + Fontina. Repeat 3 more times. Final layer gets the saved ½ cup of sauce. Cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake: Into the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour. Don’t touch it when it’s done — let it rest 30 mins so it doesn’t fall apart.
6. Serve: Warm marinara on top of each slice and a good handful of Parmesan. You earned it.

Tips for Success

• Let that cream sauce cool before mixing it in — hot sauce scrambles the eggs.
• Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for better texture + flavor.
• Slightly overlap your noodles so the whole thing holds together.
• Don’t skip the 30-minute rest. Seriously. It makes slicing way easier.
• Cover with foil, but loosely — you want steam, not soggy top noodles.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Cool it down fully, then cover or pack into containers. Keeps for 3–4 days.
• Freezer: Slice and freeze wrapped pieces for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen or thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheat: Low heat + covered pan = best texture. Add a splash of water or marinara so it doesn’t dry out. Microwave works in a pinch, but makes it softer.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use oven-ready noodles?
  Sure. Just make sure there’s enough sauce between layers so they soften properly.
• What if I don’t have Fontina?
  More mozzarella is fine. Or even provolone. You just want something melt-y and mild.
• Do I have to rest it for 30 mins?
  I mean… you don’t have to. But if you cut into it too early, it’ll just be a cheesy puddle.
• Is marinara baked in or served on top?
  It’s served on top — after baking. That’s what gives it that OG Olive Garden finish.
• Can I make this ahead?
  Yes. Assemble it, cover, and store in the fridge overnight. Bake when ready.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Pouring cream sauce in hot: That’ll cook the eggs in your cheese filling and you’ll get weird texture. Let the sauce chill.
• Skipping the oil on the dish: Even nonstick pans can betray you. A little olive oil goes a long way.
• Trying to rush the rest time: Nope. The lasagna needs time to set or it just falls apart. Grab a snack and wait it out.
• Using dry sun-dried tomatoes: Too chewy. Go with the kind packed in oil — way easier to chop and mix in.
• Stacking noodles too tight: Give them some breathing room, just a slight overlap. Tighter = more likely to fall apart when sliced.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 392 kcal
• Total Fat: 21g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Cholesterol: 121mg
• Sodium: 955mg
• Potassium: 529mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 26g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 6g
• Protein: 22g

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