The Three Snackateers

Complete Guide To The Olive Garden Menu & Copycat Recipes

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Olive Garden is a popular Italian-American chain restaurant known for its friendly service and large menu of delicious dishes.

Whether you’re looking for a nice night out or a wide variety of options to feed the family, Olive Garden has something for everyone.

If you’re an OG fan but not in the mood to go out to eat, you can also make your favorite Olive Garden dishes at home with easy copycat recipes.

In this article, you’ll find descriptions and DIY copycat recipes for everything on the Olive Garden menu including appetizers, soups, salads, breadsticks, entrees and desserts!

So whether you’re craving Olive Garden’s Lasagna Classico or Chocolate Brownie Lasagna, our guide has got you covered.

Olive Garden Menu and Copycat Recipes

Olive Garden Appetizers

When you’re looking for a little something to tide you over before your entrée arrives, Olive Garden has plenty of delicious appetizers to choose from. No matter what you’re in the mood for, Olive Garden has an appetizer that will hit the spot.

Breadsticks & Dipping Sauces On The Olive Garden Menu

Olive Garden’s freshly-baked breadsticks are legendary. Add on a delicious dipping sauce like marinara, alfredo or five cheese marinara. And don’t forget to save room for your entree!

Olive Garden Breadstick & Dipping Sauces To Make At Home

  • Try one of these copycat breadstick recipes from Little Sunny Kitchen , Saving Dollars and Sense , or Mom Foodie .
  • Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce from Sweet Pea Kitchen
  • Olive Garden Spaghetti Sauce from Chic ‘n Savvy.

Fried Mozzarella

Delicious mozzarella cheese is breaded and fried until it is golden brown and slightly crispy, then served with a marinara sauce for dipping.

Fried Mozzarella Recipes To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Fried Mozzarella Sticks from CopyKat
  • Air Fryer Olive Garden Fried Mozzarella from Fork To Spoon

Stuffed Ziti Fritta

Crispy fried ziti is filled with a rich blend of five kinds of cheese, then served with alfredo and marinara dipping sauces.

Stuffed Ziti Fritta Recipes To Make At Home

  • Stuffed Ziti Fritta (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe) from Foodie and Wine
  • Copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta from Food Hussy

Rings of tender calamari are lightly breaded and fried, then served with marinara and spicy ranch for dipping.

Fried Calamari Recipe To Make At Home

  • Crispy Pan Fried Calamari from Alekas Get Together

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Warm spinach, artichokes and a blend of cheeses are served with flatbread crisps for dipping.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe To Make At Home

  • Add a recipe post – https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2016/11/128463/olive-garden-spinach-artichoke-dip-recipe

Lasagna Fritta

Crispy parmesan-breaded lasagna, topped with even more parmesan cheese, delicious meat sauce made with beef and Italian sausage and creamy alfredo sauce.

Lasagna Fritta Recipes To Make At Home

  • Lasagna Fritta (Copycat Olive Garden Recipe) from Pass The Sushi
  • Easy Air Fryer Lasagna Fritta (Olive Garden Copycat) from Simply Happenings

Shrimp Fritto Misto

Fritto misto means “fried mix”. In this appetizer, hand-breaded shrimp, onions and bell peppers are lightly fried and served with marinara and spicy ranch.

Shrimp Fritto Recipe To Make At Home

  • Shrimp Scampi Fritta Recipe (Olive Garden Copycat) from Alyona’s Cooking.

Toasted Ravioli

Ravioli filled with seasoned beef is fried lightly and served with marinara sauce.

Toasted Ravioli Recipes To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli from Damn Delicious
  • Air Fryer Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli from Fork To Spoon

Olive Garden Soup

Chicken & gnocchi.

This delicious creamy soup is loaded with roasted chicken, gnocchi (traditional Italian dumplings) and spinach.

Chicken & Gnocchi Soup Recipes To Make At Home

  • Comforting Chicken Gnocci Soup from Harbour Breeze Home
  • Easy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat) from Scrummy Lane
  • Creamy Vegan Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Inspired) from Thank You Berry Much

Pasta e Fagioli

Paste e fagioli or “pasta and beans” starts with a savory broth and plenty of white and red beans, ground beef, fresh tomatoes and tubetti pasta.

Pasta e Fagioli Recipes To Make At Home

  • Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans) from The Forked Spoon
  • Crock-Pot Pasta Fagoli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe) from Crock-Pot Ladies
  • Pasta e Fagioli Soup from Kathy’s Vegan Kitchen

This vegan classic soup has a light tomato broth with fresh vegetables, beans and pasta.

Minestrone Recipes To Make At Home

  • Instant Pot Vegetarian Minestrone Soup (Olive Garden Inspired) from My Cooking Journey
  • Minestrone Soup (Copycat Olive Garden) from Belly Rules The Mind

Zuppa Toscana

Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana is made with gluten-free ingredients including spicy Italian sausage, kale and russet potatoes in a creamy broth.

Zuppa Toscana Recipes To Make At Home

  • Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Copycat Olive Garden recipe) from Katie’s Cucina
  • Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat) from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us

Olive Garden Salad

If you’ve ever been to Olive Garden, you know a great way to start your meal is with a big helping of their famous house salad. It’s made with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, croutons, peppers, and olives and served with Olive Garden’s signature Italian dressing .

Olive Garden Salad And Dressing Recipes To Make At Home

  • Copycat Olive Garden Salad from Princess Pinky Girl
  • Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe from House Of Nash Eats

Olive Garden Pasta and Entrees

Fettucine alfredo.

Olive Garden’s delicious and creamy alfredo sauce is made from scratch with ingredients including parmesan, Romano cheese, cream, garlic and butter.

You can choose from classic fettucine alfredo , chicken alfredo, shrimp alfredo, seafood alfredo (shrimp and scallops) and chicken tortelloni alfredo .

Olive Garden Alfredo Recipes To Make At Home

  • Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo from Easy Budget Recipes
  • Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo from Creme De La Creme
  • Copycat Olive Garden Seafood Alfredo from Three Olives Branch
  • Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo from The Slow Roasted Italian
  • Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo With Grilled Chicken (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe) from I’m Hungry For That

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara

In this dish, sautéed chicken, shrimp and spaghetti are tossed together in a creamy sauce that is loaded with bacon and roasted red peppers.

Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Recipe To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara from 100k Recipes

Chicken Parmigiana and Eggplant Parmigiana

Served with a side of spaghetti, two lightly fried parmesan-breaded chicken breasts or eggplants are smothered in homemade marinara sauce and melted Italian cheese.

Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana and Eggplant Parmigiana Recipes To Make At Home

  • Chicken Parmigiana Olive Garden from The Slow Roasted Kitchen
  • Copycat Olive Garden Eggplant Parmigiana from Flavorite

Chicken Marsala Fettucine

In this dish, juicy chicken is sautéed with spinach and mushrooms in a creamy marsala mushroom sauce and served over fettuccine noodles.

Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Recipes To Make At Home

  • Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Recipe from Valentina’s Corner
  • Olive Garden Chicken Marsala from Evolving Table

Lasagna Classico

Freshly made lasagna with layers of pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, pecorino romano and our homemade meat sauce made with beef and Italian sausage.

Olive Garden Lasagna Classico Recipes To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Lasagna Classico Recipe from Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes

Tour Of Italy

For times you can’t decide on one entree, try the Tour Of Italy which includes three Olive Garden classics: Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico and Fettuccine Alfredo.

Try these recipes to make your own Tour Of Italy at home!

Spaghetti With Meatballs

Classic spaghetti and meatballs with your choice of homemade marinara or meat sauce. 

Olive Garden Spaghetti And Meatballs To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Spaghetti and Meatballs from Kitchen Divas

Shrimp Scampi

Sautéed shrimp in a delicious garlic sauce are tossed with asparagus, tomatoes and angel hair pasta.

Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Copy Cat Recipe from The Food Hussy
  • Copy Cat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe Without Wine from Six Sisters Stuff

Chicken Scampi

Seasoned chicken is sautéed with fresh bell peppers and red onions with creamy scampi sauce and served over angel hair.

Olive Garden Chicken Scampi To Make At Home

  • Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi from Diary Of A Recipe Collector
  • Olive Garden Chicken Scampi {Copycat} from Girl On The Bloor

Five Cheese Ziti al Forno

Pasta with signature OG five cheese marinara sauces is smothered in a blend of Italian cheeses and baked to perfection.

Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno (Copycat ) from Dinner, Then Dessert
  • Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno (Copycat) from Alyona’s Cooking

Cheese Ravioli

Large ravioli filled with a blend of Italian cheeses are topped with your choice of homemade marinara or meat sauce, and then warm mozzarella is melted on top.

Olive Garden Cheese Ravioli To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Cheese Ravioli In 20 Minutes from I’m Hungry For That

Grilled Chicken Margherita

Two grilled chicken breasts are topped with mozzarella, basil pesto, lemon garlic sauce and sliced fresh tomatoes. This dish is served with a side of parmesan garlic broccoli.

Olive Garden Grilled Chicken Margherita To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden’s Copycat Chicken Margherita from Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen
  • Olive Garden Chicken Margherita from CopyKat Recipes

Herb-Grilled Salmon

Grilled salmon is topped with delicious garlic herb butter and served with a side of parmesan garlic broccoli.

Olive Garden Herb-Grilled Salmon To Make At Home

  • Herb Grilled Salmon Olive Garden Copy Cat from What Molly Made
  • Herb Grilled Salmon Olive Garden Recipe from Eating On A Dime

Olive Garden offers a grilled 6 oz sirloin steak that is topped with garlic herb butter and served with fettuccine alfredo.

Olive Garden Steak Recipes To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Steak Alfredo (Copycat Recipe) from The Fresh Cooky
  • Copycat Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo from The Foodie Affair

Olive Garden Desserts

Olive Garden’s dessert menu includes the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu! Espresso-soaked ladyfinger cookies are topped with creamy custard and a dusting of cocoa.

Olive Garden Tiramisu Recipes To Make At Home

  • Copycat Olive Garden Tiramisu Recipe from Dwell By Michelle
  • Olive Garden Tiramisu (Better Than Copycat Recipe) from Daily DIY Life

Black Tie Mousse Cake

Rich layers of chocolate cake, dark chocolate cheesecake and creamy custard mousse.

Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake Recipes To Make At Home

  • Black Tie Mousse Cake Recipe: Olive Garden Copycat from Cook Think
  • Black Tie Mousse Cake from Mindee’s Cooking Obsession

Lemon Cream Cake and the new Strawberry Cream Cake

Unfortunately, Lemon Cream Cake is no longer on the OG dessert menu. It seems to be replaced by a similar Strawberry Cream Cake.

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake and Strawberry Cream Cake Recipes To Make At Home

  • Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake from Food Folks and Fun
  • Top Secret Version of Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake from epicurious
  • Olive Garden Strawberry Cream Cake Recipe [Copycat] from Smarter Homemaker

Chocolate Brownie Lasagna

The decadent Chocolate Brownie Lasagna from Olive Garden has EIGHT layers of rich, fudgy brownie and sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting, topped with chocolate shavings and a chocolate drizzle.

Olive Garden Chocolate Brownie Lasagna Recipes To Make At Home

  • Air Fryer Copycat Olive Garden Chocolate Lasagna from fork to spoon
  • DIY Olive Garden’s Brownie Lasagna (7-Ingredients) from Wide Open Eats

Warm Italian Doughnuts

Often called zeppoles, these fried doughnuts are tossed in powdered sugar and served with chocolate or raspberry sauce for dipping.

Olive Garden Warm Italian Doughnuts Recipe To Make At Home

  • Zeppole – Easy Italian Donuts from Natasha’s Kitchen

Sicilian Cheesecake With Strawberry Topping

Olive Garden currently offers a rich ricotta cheesecake complete with a shortbread cookie crust and sweet strawberry sauce.

They have also offered other cheesecakes in the past, so we’ve included a variety of recipes for you to try at home.

Olive Garden Cheesecake Recipes To Make At Home

  • Olive Garden Sicilian Cheesecake With Strawberry Topping from Nina Kneads To Bake
  • Olive Garden White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake from Adventures of Mel
  • Olive Garden Cookie Dough Cheesecake from CopyKat
  • Olive Garden Pumpkin Cheesecake from CopyKat

And there you have it—a complete guide to the Olive Garden menu and copycat recipes! Dining out can be a fun experience, but sometimes it’s nice to stay in and whip up something special.

Olive Garden is a great option for those looking for casual Italian fare, and with these copycat recipes in your arsenal, you can enjoy the Olive Garden experience any time you like. Thanks for reading, and buon appetito!

Up Next: Everything You Need To Know About The Crumbl Cookie Menu

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Meet Micky Reed, your go-to snack expert and creator of The Three Snackateers—a hub for all the best sweets and treats to make, try, and buy. From whipping up collaborations with industry giants like Ben & Jerry's to being featured on Delish and PopSugar , Micky's delicious adventures are causing a stir in the foodie world. You can find Micky on IG and Pinterest.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Olive Garden Debuts New Tour of Italy Entrées

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Olive Garden is introducing two new Culinary Tours of Italy to provide guests with even more variety of unique Italian flavors. 

Guests will be able to vote for which dish, the Northern or Southern Tour of Italy, is added to the Olive Garden menu. Each Tour is inspired by Olive Garden Chefs Flavio Tagliaferro and Paolo Lafata, and the regions of Italy where they grew up.

For a limited time, guests can savor the rich flavors featured in the Northern Tour of Italy or spice things up with the bold and bright tastes showcased in the Southern Tour of Italy. The Tours feature a variety of three dishes and start at $15.49.

  • Asiago Tortelloni with Meat Sauce has rich and decadent meat and cheese flavors
  • Chicken Lombardy is topped with smoked Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses, a creamy Parmesan sauce, and bacon
  • Fettuccine with Creamy Parmesan Portobello Sauce features savory mushrooms, a classic northern Italian ingredient
  • Mezzaluna Marinara is filled with cheese and topped with homemade sauce
  • Spicy Pesto Shrimp is topped with a blend of Calabrian peppers, ripe tomatoes, basil and garlic
  • Bucatini with Spicy Tomato Bacon Sauce features a smoky flavor with crushed red pepper

For guests who want to enjoy their classic favorite, Olive Garden's signature Tour of Italy, with Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico, and famous Fettuccine Alfredo, will continue to be available on the menu.

"The Classic Tour of Italy is one of our most popular entrees," says Jay Spenchian, Olive Garden's executive vice president of marketing. "We are excited to introduce two dishes inspired by the hometown flavors of our executive chefs and give our guests an opportunity to vote for which Tour will be added to the menu."

Crowdsourcing the Next Entree Throughout the promotion, guests can vote for their preferred Tour by using #TeamNorth or #TeamSouth on Twitter or Instagram. Guests can also place votes by purchasing a Tour of Italy in restaurant. 

The Tour with the most votes will be added to the Olive Garden menu. Guests who cast their vote will also be entered for a chance to win a trip to Italy. 

Signature Classics Just $10 Additionally, guests can enjoy a selection of Olive Garden's classic dishes for just $10 through Nov. 20, 2014. The offer is valid Monday through Thursday, and each entrée is always served with homemade soup or garden fresh salad and fresh baked garlic breadsticks:

  • Spaghetti with Meat Sauce homemade with pan-seared beef, Italian sausage, and seasoned with herbs and spices
  • Five Cheese Ziti al Forno with an indulgent blend of Italian cheeses, ziti pasta, and five-cheese marinara sauce, baked golden brown
  • Eggplant Parmigiana with fresh eggplant, hand-breaded and lightly fried, topped with homemade marinara and melted Mozzarella cheese, and served with spaghetti
  • Ravioli di Portobello, ravioli filled with flavorful portobello mushrooms, topped with a rich and creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce

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The menu offers better value to guests.

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I'm 23 years old and I've gone without eating at Olive Garden my whole life — here's why that was a huge mistake

Every time I tell one of my friends I've never been to Olive Garden, I get a similar response: something along the lines of horror and shock.

So I finally decided to give the Italian American chain a try.

Keep scrolling to read about my first experience at the restaurant.

Olive Garden has two locations in NYC.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

I ate at the Times Square location. The multi-story restaurant offers great views of the bustling square below.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

When I walked in, I was greeted by the hostess and then had to take an escalator up to the top floor.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

The decor was homey. It was slightly reminiscent of other Italian restaurants I had been to, just with more of an American-chain-restaurant feel.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

There were plenty of booths perfect for families or couples.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

I was set up at a table right by the window. My waitress came right over and started to give me an overview of the three picture-packed menus that I was presented with.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

There were special lunch options...

tour of italy olive garden reddit

... and I discovered that I could even make my own pasta. As someone who reads restaurant menus word for word, I was slightly overwhelmed by the number of options.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

While I deliberated, my waitress offered me a sample of Cabernet Sauvignon and explained that diners have the option to sample three different wines before deciding whether or not to order a glass. I stuck with just one sample since I was on the job.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

At the suggestion of my waitress, I ended up going with the "tour of Italy," which features three of Olive Garden's original classics all served on one plate: chicken parmesan, lasagna, and fettucine Alfredo. I ordered their chicken gnocchi soup and house salad to start with.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Barely any time passed before my waitress brought over warm breadsticks. The Olive Garden fans I know rave about these breadsticks, but when they arrived, I was skeptical.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

They looked plain. Then I took a bite and retracted that thought. The bread was steeped in butter and garlic, with a slight crunch to the outside. These were delicious — and addicting.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

I only allowed myself to take a couple bites before my chicken gnocchi soup and house salad were brought over.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

According to the location's manager, Mike, Olive Garden is known for their soups. I was very happy with my choice; it was creamy, but not too heavy, and the chicken tasted fresh. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't overly salty either, like so many restaurant soups can be.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

The signature salad met my two top salad requirements: having enough toppings and being well dressed.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Plus, the toppings all tasted fresh — especially the tomatoes.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Then it was time for the main part of my meal. The plate arrived piping hot, and the food looked exactly like the photos I had perused earlier on the menu.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

The entree costs $25.49 at the Times Square location, which seemed reasonable to me considering you're basically getting three entrees all in one.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

My waitress told me that it's a popular option for groups who want to try a bite of each of the classics, which made me feel slightly guilty about ordering it for one, but I got over that pretty quickly.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

I dug into the fettucine Alfredo first. It was good, but my least favorite of the three. I would never order fettucine Alfredo to begin with, and while this was creamy and tasty, it was nothing special.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

I sliced into the chicken parm next. This was really good. The chicken was moist on the inside with a perfectly crisp layer of breading. No part of it was soggy or bland.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Last but certainly not least, I tried the lasagna. The first thing that struck me was how much meat was in the sauce. I'll only order lasagna if it comes with meat sauce, so I was very happy.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Both the melted mozzarella and the two sauces that topped the chicken parm and the lasagna were delicious. It's not hard to melt cheese, but the sauce was not too tangy or acidic, which I loved.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Not surprisingly, I didn't come anywhere near finishing my meal...

tour of italy olive garden reddit

... but that just meant I was set on leftovers for the next few days.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

The grand total for my full meal came out to be $40.58 — that's including the 18% gratuity Olive Garden adds onto your bill. You can choose to tip that or tip another amount.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

All in all I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. I went in thinking the food would have the subpar taste you find at many chain restaurants, but I actually really enjoyed it.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Olive Garden would never be my go-to spot for authentic Italian food, but the service is great, the food is tasty, and the prices aren't bad. It's a good option for groups of friends or a quick mid-week lunch with colleagues.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

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  • Main content

Olive Garden Introduces Two New Twists On Its Classic Tour Of Italy Entree

Variety of Signature Dishes Also Available for $10 for a Limited Time

For a limited time, guests can savor the rich flavors featured in the Northern Tour of Italy or spice things up with the bold and bright tastes showcased in the Southern Tour of Italy. The Tours feature a variety of three dishes and start at $15.49.

  • Asiago Tortelloni with Meat Sauce has rich and decadent meat and cheese flavors
  • Chicken Lombardy is topped with smoked mozzarella and provolone cheeses, a creamy parmesan sauce and bacon
  • Fettuccine with Creamy Parmesan Portobello Sauce features savory mushrooms, a classic northern Italian ingredient
  • Mezzaluna Marinara is filled with cheese and topped with homemade sauce
  • Spicy Pesto Shrimp is topped with a blend of Calabrian peppers, ripe tomatoes, basil and garlic
  • Bucatini with Spicy Tomato Bacon Sauce features a smoky flavor with crushed red pepper

For guests who want to enjoy their classic favorite, Olive Garden’s signature Tour of Italy featuring Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico and famous Fettuccine Alfredo will continue to be available on the menu.

“The Classic Tour of Italy is one of our most popular entrees,” said Jay Spenchian, Olive Garden’s executive vice president of marketing. “We are excited to introduce two dishes inspired by the hometown flavors of our executive chefs and give our guests an opportunity to vote for which Tour will be added to the menu.”

Crowdsourcing the Next Entree

Throughout the promotion, guests can vote for their preferred Tour by using #TeamNorth or #TeamSouth on Twitter or Instagram. Guests can also place votes by purchasing a Tour of Italy in restaurant. The Tour with the most votes will be added to the Olive Garden menu. Guests who cast their vote will also be entered for a chance to win a trip to Italy. Follow the votes and learn more about the sweepstakes by visiting ItalianFanFavorite.com .

Signature Classics Just $10

Additionally, guests can enjoy a selection of Olive Garden’s classic dishes for just $10 through Nov. 20, 2014. The offer is valid Monday through Thursday, and each entree is always served with homemade soup or garden fresh salad and fresh baked garlic breadsticks:

  • Spaghetti with Meat Sauce homemade with pan-seared beef, Italian sausage and seasoned with herbs and spices
  • Five Cheese Ziti al Forno with an indulgent blend of Italian cheeses, ziti pasta and five-cheese marinara sauce baked golden brown
  • Eggplant Parmigiana with fresh eggplant hand-breaded and lightly fried, topped with homemade marinara and melted mozzarella cheese and served with spaghetti
  • Ravioli di Portobello , ravioli filled with flavorful portobello mushrooms, topped with a rich and creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce

Connect with Olive Garden at Facebook.com/OliveGarden , Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OfficialOliveGarden . For more information and to find your nearest Olive Garden restaurant, visit OliveGarden.com .

About Olive Garden

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 800 restaurants, more than 96,000 employees and more than $3.6 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), which owns and operates more than 1,500 restaurants that generate over $6.3 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and employing more than 150,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2014, Darden was named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the fourth year in a row. Olive Garden is committed to making a difference in the lives of others in the local community. As part of this commitment, Olive Garden restaurants have donated nearly 30 million pounds of food to local community food banks across the country. For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com . Connect with us at Facebook.com/OliveGarden ,  Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OfficialOliveGarden .

  • Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

Classic Entr-es

Tour of italy.

Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico and our signature Fettuccine Alfredo. **Our meat sauces include pan-seared beef and Italian sausage.

Tour of Italy

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1.0 star rating

Complete garbage! I actually use to like Olive Garden back when the chain opened up in my area 20 years ago. Maybe I just didn't know what good Italian food was. My last visit (and I do mean my LAST visit) I went with the tour of Italy . Worst over salted mushy slop I've ever had in my life. I really can't believe that place is still in business with the low quality food they serve. The local pizzerias in town serve better Italian food

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Well.... Been here a few times to see if there are any improvements and still none.. We went on a Sunday Evening, we got seated 5minutes which was great..Group of 5, Usually the past experience the server always gives out coasters for our cup, but this time.. No.. The server was just plain rude and was in a rush.. AMAZING.. so we let that go.. We gave our orders.. no appetizers were ordered because we wanted to take advantage of the unlimited salad and bread.. But guess what ? We didn't get our bread until almost we got our entrees. The server first said just a few minutes, but since we like to explore our surroundings.. The new customer that got seated got there bread first, so I was looking for our server and there she was standing and talking to another person.. When she saw us looking she gave a face that she didn't want to serve us and you can see the attitude that she just wants to not serve us... Now for the food... I ordered the tour of Italy .. and the lasagna and alfredo is not really hot... So.. I guess my food stayed out for quite some time before going to my table.. The server asked if we wanted cheese.. We said yes.. You can sense that she was annoyed because she just grated the cheese all over our table... And it because so messy... can you imagine ? OH.. and the way she asked for "do you need anything else" she gave an attitude.. Unbelievable.. Why did I give this 1 star ? Honestly if I can give 0 I would... I've been here a few times to give it a chance regarding food and service but what ? Nothing.. No change at all.. Stay away.. If you can find another place to eat.. Go there instead

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Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Menu: Classic Entr-es

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Chicken Parmigiana

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Eggplant Parmigiana

Lasagna classico.

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Five Cheese Ziti al Forno

Spaghetti & meatballs, spaghetti with marinara.

Price details

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Shrimp Scampi

Chicken scampi.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara

Chicken marsala fettuccine, grilled chicken margherita, 6 oz sirloin, herb-grilled salmon, stuffed pastas, chicken tortelloni alfredo, cheese ravioli, ravioli carbonara, amazing alfredos.

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Fettuccine Alfredo

Seafood alfredo.

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Shrimp Alfredo

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Chicken Alfredo

Create your own pasta, choose pasta, choose a sauce, add a topping, homemade soups & salad, never-ending soup, salad & breadsticks, pasta e fagioli, zuppa toscana.

tour of italy olive garden reddit

Chicken & Gnocchi

tour of italy olive garden reddit

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Breaking news, i’m a dietitian — here’s what to order at the olive garden when you’re trying to eat healthy.

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Collage of various food items from Olive Garden's menu signifying healthy eating options

Cancel the Tour of Italy — and nix those unlimited breadsticks.

Dining out at the Olive Garden has been a relatively affordable favorite for more than thirty years — with nearly 900 restaurants, most of us are familiar with its unabashedly American-Italian menu, brimming with cheesy pastabilities. But could a meal here actually be healthy?

While bowls of creamy alfredo and plates of chocolate lasagna might be the last thing you’d want to get near while trying to eat right, The O.G. harbors more than a few feel-good secrets for those on their best eating behavior, experts say.

Olive Garden restaurant exterior with parked cars.

Toby Amidor is an award winning dietitian; on behalf of Eat This, Not That! , the bestselling cookbook author analyzed the chain restaurant’s familiar menu, coming up with a list of the absolute best-for-you — all things being relative — pasta dishes, making sticking to your guns una passegiata nel parco. Or, close enough.

One of the first obstacles do-good diners face at the Olive Garden, Amidor notes, is portion size. The plates of pasta here —  never mind never-ending — are massive, she says, leading to inflated calorie counts, no matter what. Add in all that cream, cheese and sodium, and your diet is already wearing a set of cement shoes.

Or is it? An in-depth analysis reveals that some of the restaurant’s pasta dishes are downright saintly, compared to their reputation.

Based on total calories, saturated fat content, sodium and carb count, there are two dishes you should be looking at, according to Amidor.

The first one — drum roll, please — is the spaghetti marinara. An obvious choice, perhaps, but it’s also downright healthy compared to its menu buddies at the bottom of the list.

A plate of spaghetti with sauce at a popular Olive Garden branch

One dinner entree of this staple dish contains 490 calories, and just 1 gram of saturated fat, or 5% of the daily recommend, less than any other pasta on the menu. Besides a lot of salt, the only other major downer is that 68% of those calories come from carbohydrates.

“To better balance it, order grilled chicken or veggies on the side,” Amidor suggested.

And if that’s too boring to consider leaving the house for, get a boatload of this — the second healthiest pasta dish on the menu is, surprise, the shrimp scampi, with just 7 grams of saturated fat and only 490 calories, plus an energy-giving 29 grams of protein.

“This classic dish is made with sautéed shrimp in garlic sauce, tossed with asparagus, tomatoes, and angel hair pasta,” Amidor said.

“It’s second on the better-for-you side as the calories, saturated fat, and even carbs are more reasonable than most other options,” the pro explained.

A plate of pasta with shrimp and asparagus at Olive Garden

Worst on the list was the Chicken Tortollini Alfredo — cheesy pasta pockets baked in Alfredo sauce with loads more cheese, toasted breadcrumbs and some grilled chicken.

With a stonking 1,890 calories and 76 grams of saturated fat, a dieter’s night will be ruined by ordering this culinary catastrophe.

“The calories for this dish alone are the amount recommended for an entire day!” said Amidor.

“It provides 380% and 162% of the recommended daily max for saturated fat and sodium, respectively. It’s just too much in terms of portions of each of the ingredients, especially when slathered in a creamy sauce,” she explained.

Pair your healthy choices with some of the restaurant’s famous salad, or even a bowl of one of their healthier soups, and you’ll leave feeling full — and, possibly a first for Olive Garden — just a little bit virtuous.

In an earlier article for Eat This, Not That! , a set of medical professionals analyzed the remainder of the restaurant’s menu, finding the minestrone to be the most holier-than-thou of the soups, with 110 calories per serving and 1 measly gram of saturated fat.

Bowl of salad and soup with breadsticks from Olive Garden

And what of the salad? Have at it, the experts say, calling it “on the lower side when it comes to saturated fat, and packed with refreshing vegetables that help people meet their fiber needs.”

But it’s not considered the healthiest thing on the menu, possibly because, as noted in the article, you have to eat a lot of it to feel full.

Instead, the all-around award goes to the herb-grilled salmon entree, packing in 490 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat and 45 grams of protein.

“While it is higher in fat than other dishes on the list, it is high in omega-3’s, an essential fatty acid we can only obtain from our diet that supports brain and overall health,” dietitian Amy Goodson said at the time. .

“In fact, omega-3s — which are a type of polyunsaturated fat — have been found to also aid in heart health, inflammation, and even reducing the risk of certain cancers,” she continued.

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IMAGES

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  2. OLIVEGARDEN TOUR OF ITALY

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  4. Tour of Italy provides robust meal at Olive Garden

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  5. Olive Garden Introduces Two New Twists On Its Classic Tour Of Italy Entree

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  6. Olive Garden Create Your Own Tour of Italy TV Spot, 'Everything You

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COMMENTS

  1. The "Tour of Italy" from Olive Garden. Perfect meal for ...

    Nostalgia is often triggered by something reminding you of a happier time. Whether it's an old commercial or a book from your past, it belongs in /r/nostalgia. Here we can take pleasure in reminiscing about the good ol' days... times we shared with loved ones, both humorous and sad. So grab your Pogs, Surge cans and Thriller cassettes, and we ...

  2. Olive Garden Tour of Italy Turned Deadly! : r/videos

    Reddit's main subreddit for videos. Please read the sidebar below for our rules. Members Online • redban . Olive Garden Tour of Italy Turned Deadly! instagram.com Open. Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Locked post. New comments cannot be posted.

  3. I'm a cook at Olive Garden ask me anything : r/olivegarden

    Olive Garden is not a franchised restaurant. As a kitchen manager, this is not true. Almost everything is made in house. We ship in uncooked pasta, fresh produce, raw protein and make almost every single sauce ourselves. For the most part, the only thing being cooked from frozen is a handful of appetizers.

  4. What You Should Order at Olive Garden, According to Employees

    The Tour of Italy platter is the "best value on the menu," said one employee. The Tour of Italy comes with chicken parmigiana, lasagna, and fettuccine Alfredo. Sarah Schmalbruch / INSIDER. If you ...

  5. Olive Garden Introduces Two New Twists On Its Classic Tour Of Italy Entree

    Olive Garden. 14 Nov, 2014, 10:00 ET. ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Olive Garden is introducing two new Culinary Tours of Italy to provide guests with even more variety of unique ...

  6. Complete Guide To The Olive Garden Menu & Copycat Recipes

    In this article, you'll find descriptions and DIY copycat recipes for everything on the Olive Garden menu including appetizers, soups, salads, breadsticks, entrees and desserts! So whether you're craving Olive Garden's Lasagna Classico or Chocolate Brownie Lasagna, our guide has got you covered.

  7. Olive Garden Debuts New Tour of Italy Entrées

    Nov 17 2014. Industry News. Olive Garden. Share: Olive Garden is introducing two new Culinary Tours of Italy to provide guests with even more variety of unique Italian flavors. Guests will be able to vote for which dish, the Northern or Southern Tour of Italy, is added to the Olive Garden menu. Each Tour is inspired by Olive Garden Chefs Flavio ...

  8. How To Make Olive Garden's Tour Of Italy!

    #olivegarden #tourofitalyJoin Tom and Stace for another cooking vlog! We have been missing America and all of it's amazing restaurants and diners, so to sati...

  9. Why You Should Eat at Olive Garden

    At the suggestion of my waitress, I ended up going with the "tour of Italy," which features three of Olive Garden's original classics all served on one plate: chicken parmesan, lasagna, and ...

  10. Tour of Italy

    Tour of Italy at Olive Garden Italian Restaurant "Maybe it's just me, but I don't typically expect a 20-30 min wait at a restaurant at noon. Well that's exactly what happened yesterday when I got to Olive Garden with my wife. We didn't wait…

  11. Olive Garden Introduces Two New Twists On Its Classic Tour Of Italy

    Signature Classics Just $10. Additionally, guests can enjoy a selection of Olive Garden's classic dishes for just $10 through Nov. 20, 2014. The offer is valid Monday through Thursday, and each ...

  12. Tour of Italy

    So Olive Garden is doing this tour of Italy or something and you get to pick 3 types of pastas. I got the shrimp & lobster Alfredo ravioli, tortellini al forno, and fettuccini Alfredo. ... Olive Garden used to be my absolute favorite go to place for Italian food throughout my childhood up until now. However, I don't know if it Olive Garden's ...

  13. Tour of Italy

    It looked awfully lonely on that big platter and had to be reheated to boot. We have found Carino's in Mira Loma to have a much better dish similar to the Olive Garden's " Tour " -- their combo has generous portions of chicken parmesan, lasagna, and spaghetti with spicy marinara. We each brought half of our dinners home for a meal the next day.

  14. Tour of Italy

    Great service. We order a pint of Alfredo sauce to dip our bread sticks in, 2 soups and 2 salads, 2 ordered the Tour of Italy, another person ordered chicken Alfredo, and I ordered chicken scampi. Everything was delicious. They kept coming with warm bread sticks. Good atmosphere and good service. Will definitely come back to this Olive Garden ...

  15. PDF tour of ita l y

    Known in Italy as Zeppoli, our doughnuts are made to order and tossed in vanilla sugar. Served with raspberry or chocolate sauce. 810 cal, chocolate sauce 220 cal, raspberry sauce 210 cal 8.49 STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE (V) Vanilla sponge cake layered with sweet vanilla cream and topped with fresh strawberries. 540 cal 9.29 D-3-073123

  16. Decoding the Tour of Italy Olive Garden Calories: A Delicious Trio with

    According to the Olive Garden website, the Tour of Italy has a staggering 1,490 calories per serving. That's about two-thirds of the daily recommended caloric intake for an average adult. To put it into perspective, that's the equivalent of consuming three McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese burgers, or about 22 ounces of cola. ...

  17. Tour of Italy

    182 reviews. 3 photos. 3/22/2015. Complete garbage! I actually use to like Olive Garden back when the chain opened up in my area 20 years ago. Maybe I just didn't know what good Italian food was. My last visit (and I do mean my LAST visit) I went with the tour of Italy. Worst over salted mushy slop I've ever had in my life.

  18. Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

  19. Olive Garden Tour of Italy Nutrition Facts

    A Olive Garden Tour of Italy contains 1520 calories, 96 grams of fat and 92 grams of carbohydrates. Keep reading to see the full nutrition facts and Weight Watchers points for a Tour of Italy from Olive Garden Italian Kitchen. Olive Garden Tour of Italy Nutrition Facts. Compare. Serving Size 1 serving: Calories: 1520

  20. What to order at Olive Garden to stay healthy, experts say

    Olive Garden One dinner entree of this staple dish contains 490 calories, and just 1 gram of saturated fat, or 5% of the daily recommend, less than any other pasta on the menu.