11 Recipes That'll Turn Your Kitchen Into An Olive Garden
We're all family at the OG.
Good news: We're all family now that we have all these Olive Garden-inspired copycat recipes under our belt! And since you can make our Olive Garden pasta e fagioli, Olive Garden chicken scampi, and copycat Olive Garden 5-cheese ziti al forno whenever you want, you basically have your own personal Olive Garden never-ending pasta deal right in your very own kitchen. Che bello, amiright?! And if you've ever wondered about all the insider goings-on of Olive Garden, check out all these secrets Olive Garden servers say you need to know.
It just wouldn't be a visit to the Olive Garden without digging into the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks either. Some of our favorite soups ever are classic OG recipes, so we knew we had to create our own versions of Olive Garden's chicken gnocchi soup, Olive Garden minestrone soup, and Olive Garden zuppa Toscana. We can gladly live off their soups, their bomb Olive Garden salad + dressing, and Olive Garden breadsticks alone.
Can we admit something? Olive Garden is kind of, maybe, definitely one of our favorite date-night spots. It's hard not to feel like all the amore when you're digging into a plate of OG's giant chicken Parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo. And we're not alone. Some fans have gone so far as to take their engagement photos at Olive Garden; Olive Garden even sent the love right back by gifting that same couple a free honeymoon trip to Italy! You can also order a bouquet of Olive Garden breadsticks for Valentine's Day, which is sort of our idea of romance, honestly.
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
This chunky pasta e fagioli is filled with all the Olive Garden goodness—white and red beans, ground beef, tomatoes, and ditalini pasta all snuggle up in a rich Italian-spiced broth. Pair a steaming bowl of Olive Garden pasta e fagioli with Olive Garden-style salad and some copycat breadsticks, and you have a restaurant-style feast in your own home.
Get the Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
Olive Garden is one of the most popular Italian American restaurants in the country, and other than the salad, soup, and breadsticks, we figure that that popularity is in large part driven by one dish and one dish alone: fettuccine Alfredo. Fettuccine Alfredo is the epitome of creaminess with a rich cheese sauce that is some of the best comfort food out there.
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden 5-Cheese Ziti Al Forno
In case you missed it, copycat recipes are kind of our speciality. And this one tastes just like Olive Garden's 5-cheese ziti al forno...maybe better! Our advice: Buy a jar of marinara but make your own Alfredo! It's creamy and, yes, extra-cheesy, and so easy to make. What can possibly be better?
Get the Copycat Olive Garden 5-Cheese Ziti Al Forno recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
Not gonna lie, this homemade version of the famously buttery breadsticks from Olive Garden might just be better than the original. We love serving these with plenty of marinara or Alfredo sauce for dipping!
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
As far as chowders go, clam and corn tend to get all the love. But over at the Olive Garden (and now here!), they’ve highlighted the almighty chicken chowder in a beautiful way—by adding tons of vegetables and fluffy, chewy gnocchi.
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Kick off your ultimate homemade OG experience with their iconic bright, tangy salad. Make sure to have plenty of breadsticks on hand to mop up this signature dressing.
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
In a ranking of history’s best flavor trios, the ingredients that feature prominently in scampi (garlic, white wine, and butter) score way up there with Neapolitan ice cream. Olive Garden’s chicken scampi has been a favorite at the chain for decades, and we’re all for helping bring it to your table. And don’t be afraid to undercook your angel hair just a tad, since overcooked noodles will break into choppy, sloppy threads when you toss them in that luscious sauce.
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
If you're like most fans of the Olive Garden, you probably see the soups as glorified dipping sauce for their unreal breadsticks. But if you've taken a second to really savor their garden zuppa Toscana, you can see just how much love and flavor they put into this hearty soup. Like some of our favorite other comfort foods, such as fettuccine Alfredo and chicken Parm, this soup will have you feeling like you're getting a big hug from your nonna.
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe.
Green Apple Moscato Sangria
Super packed with fresh strawberries, apples, and oranges, this Olive Garden copycat is the perfect fruity green cocktail to welcome in spring.
Get the Green Apple Moscato Sangria recipe.
Fried Lasagna
One of our favorite OG copycats was an instant no-brainer: Their "lasagna fritti". Besides the fact that you're FRYING LASAGNA, the process for fried lasagna isn't too crazy. Olive Garden drizzles their "lasagna fritta" with marinara then places it over a bed of alfredo sauce. You are well aware of our alfredo obsession at this point, but surprisingly the creamy white sauce seemed unnecessary here—marinara was plenty. And since the crunchy golden squares are so dunkable, why bother with forks and knives? Just dig in.
Get the Fried Lasagna recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
The great Italian classic, minestrone, is a soup that can span the seasons: comforting on a chilly winter’s night, and light enough for a summer lunch. It’s also packed full of veggies for a dish that’s vegan (okay, if you skip topping it with freshly grated Parm)! The popularity of Olive Garden’s legendary minestrone reaches far and wide, and we cracked the code on how to make it at home.
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup recipe.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine and if wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.
