When guests arrive at an Olive Garden table, they are treated like family. From the warm greetings to the generous portions, everyone leaves the table with a full stomach and a satisfied feeling. In an effort to embrace current food trends, Olive Garden expands its menu with a few new options that will get people excited.
Certain menu items are staples at Olive Garden. The iconic marinara sauce, with its signature tomatoes and recipe, will always be a top choice. Alongside the classic alfredo, people love to mix, match, and create dishes with pastas and proteins.
While those iconic items will always be part of the menu, the popular restaurant brand appreciates that it needs to adapt to the current food trends. From quick service restaurants to home kitchens, big, bold, and spicy flavors are on the rise. Bland is boring and no one wants to serve just another dish of food.
Joining the Olive Garden Menu is a Spicy Three-Meat Sauce. Before anyone grabs a big glass of water, the new sauce is approachable. While there are chili flakes, the subtle tingle is apparent but does not overwhelm the palate.
Paired with cherry peppers, red bell peppers, pepperoni, red wine, garlic and herbs, the homemade meat sauce become more robust. It feels like the sauces that grandma let simmer for hours on the stove.
Not only does that kick of spice add to the eating enjoyment, the sauce has a wonderful texture. As it smothers spaghetti, penne, or whichever pasta, the dish feels like the ultimate comfort with a little extra punch of excitement.
To highlight the new sauce, Olive Garden suggests the new Bucatini pasta is a great choice. For those unfamiliar with Bucatini, the hole in the center of the pasta can capture all the deliciousness from the sauce. It makes for a delicious combination.
As the first new pasta shape added to the menu in almost seven years, it is a curious option for Olive Garden. Not only does the Bucatini add some Italian authenticity to the menu, it sparks conversation with diners. Italian food is expansive, creative, and always delicious. When people crave to learn more, it keeps them coming back to the table for more.
Both the Spicy Three-Meat Sauce and the Bucantini are part of Olive Garden’s Create Your Own Pasta menu. Starting at $12.99, the pasta dish comes with the signature never-ending breadsticks and endless soup or salad.
The new food offerings continue in July. Calabrian Steak and Shrimp Bucatini join the menu on July 7. The spicy Calabrian cream sauce adds decadence to the grill sirloin tips. With the Bucatini pasta, the cream sauce fills the hollow center and makes the spinach and tomatoes pop.
The new food items will be available through August 25. They can be enjoyed in restaurant, to-go, or via the new delivery service. If that first taste makes your pasta day, make sure to enjoy the order frequently before it becomes part of Olive Garden history.