We! Love! Olive Garden! And we love making these copycat Olive Garden recipes at home. This list is loaded with all the best dishes, from creamy soups to cheesy pastas, so there just is no other word but love. ❤️
You know when you find a recipe that just sings its song to you so nicely that you just can’t help but want to get in the kitchen? That’s this.
1. Breadsticks Recipe (Olive Garden Copycat)
Can we just talk about the moment that basket of breadsticks arrives? It’s pure joy. And when you realize how unbelievably simple these are to make, you’ll want them all the time!
We’re talking warm, soft breadsticks that you just brush with some melted butter and finish with a mix of garlic powder and salt. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure, and you’re going to love it.
2. Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Oh my good gravy. As if a super creamy chicken soup wasn’t already enough, they tossed in some of those little pillowy gnocchi! It’s capital L-O-V-E.
I’m a huge fan of gnocchi, especially when I pan-fry them in a little brown butter with rosemary. But if gnocchi isn’t your thing, you could totally swap in some regular pasta or even chunks of potato.
3. Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta
Okay, let’s be real, who can possibly resist a sizzling skillet full of melty cheese? This recipe is stupidly easy. There’s no need to make a roux or do anything complicated.
You literally just mix it all together and let the oven do the work. What comes out is this bubbling masterpiece with a crispy, golden crust around the edges. YUM.
You can even serve it in cute little ramekins if you want to give everyone their own.
4. Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli
I know these are technically an appetizer, but I will absolutely order them as my main dish. Making them at home is a messy little project using ready-made ravioli and breadcrumbs, but it is so, so worth it.
You end up with a huge bowl of crunchy ravioli that have this amazing creamy, cheesy filling. They are fantastic with some marinara sauce or even a side of that alfredo sauce for dipping!
5. Copycat Olive Garden Jumbo Stuffed Shells
The first time I ordered these stuffed shells, I could not get over how big they were! For real, you only need a few and you’ve got a full meal.
At the restaurant, they serve this on a bed of alfredo sauce and sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs over the top. I just love the contrast between the creamy alfredo and the marinara, but they’re just as delicious even without the white sauce.
6. One-Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Soup has never looked this good! Did you know this dish is packed with bacon and sausage? And that’s on top of potatoes, garlic, and a creamy sauce. Oh, but wait, it has kale, too… so it’s basically a health food, right?
Please let me believe it! I often substitute the kale with spinach since I almost always have it on hand. It works just as well, and you still get those greens in.
7. Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
Chicken and mushrooms are just a classic pair, but when you add some white wine, you get something truly special. The chicken cooks right in the pan with the mushrooms and wine, soaking up all that amazing flavor.
Every single bite is juicy and incredible. This dish is great with simple pasta, or you can serve it with a big bowl of cheesy polenta.
8. Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce
Step away from the jar of sauce! If you’re going to make alfredo, it has to be this from-scratch Olive Garden recipe. It’s so simple, so why wouldn’t you?
If you want to kick the flavors up a notch, try infusing your cream with herbs like rosemary, bay, and thyme. Just make sure to strain them out and let the cream cool down before you mix it into the sauce.
9. Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
Usually, after I’ve had a starter and my main dish (plus an entire basket of breadsticks, obviously), dessert feels like a far-off dream. There’s no way I could manage one more bite… unless it’s this lemon cream cake!
The cake part is a simple white cake, and you could even use a box mix if you want to. The real hero here is the lemon and mascarpone filling! It’s so sweet and creamy, with bright notes of lemon in every bite.
10. Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe
An Italian dressing mix has so much more going on than a typical Italian spice blend. You can usually find the mix in a ready-made packet, but making your own is a breeze.
This dressing is super tangy and only has a half-teaspoon of sugar. I like it that way, but if you want something more mellow, you can add extra sugar or even a little bit of honey.
11. Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Better than Olive Garden’s)
This soup is so hearty and filling! It’s loaded with pasta and beef, and it will definitely keep you full. I kind of think of it as an Italian chili because it has chopped tomatoes, veggies, and a ton of beans.
Ditalini pasta works great because the small tubes get distributed all through the soup, but if you can’t find it, elbow pasta or whatever you have will work just fine.
12. Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Copycat Recipe
Is there anything more beautiful than a plate loaded with bright pink shrimp? They’re just so juicy and meaty, and they go with absolutely everything from pasta to grits.
The most important thing when cooking shrimp is to remember they only need a couple of minutes. As soon as you see that gorgeous pink color on both sides, they’re done. Any longer and they can get rubbery.
13. Olive Garden Spinach Artichoke Dip
Not every spinach and artichoke dip is the same. While most of them are pretty tasty, not all of them are melt-in-your-mouth amazing.
You can guess which category this one falls into! It’s all about the cheese blend here. You’ll need parmesan, mozzarella, asiago, romano, and cream cheese.
Just be sure to squeeze all the extra liquid out of your spinach so the dip stays nice and thick.
14. Olive Garden Tortellini al Forno
Between the tortellini filled with cheese and prosciutto, the creamy parmesan sauce, and the crumbled bacon on top, this is a dish I’m not willing to share.
If you have the time, I totally recommend making your own tortellini from scratch at least once! It’s so much fun to make pasta, and you can even make it a date night activity.
But even with store-bought tortellini, this dish is seriously indulgent. Just don’t be shy with that bacon.
15. Olive Garden Salad Recipe
I have to be honest, I’ve never actually ordered the salad at Olive Garden. If I’m eating out, you can bet I’m ordering something I shouldn’t!
But if you’re in the mood for a salad, you will not be disappointed with this one. I’m a huge fan of the pepperoncini peppers and red onion, but the dressing is what really makes this dish shine.
I suggest you make extra because you’ll want to have it again and again.
16. Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
Doesn’t minestrone just feel so nostalgic? I feel like everyone was fed this when they were feeling under the weather. I know every mom makes the best version, but this one is a very close second.
The base is made with onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini, though I like to throw in corn, squash, and even sweet potato when I have them.
Make sure to rinse your beans to get rid of any extra salt, and for a super-rich broth, try using beef stock with a splash of red wine.
17. Refreshing Olive Garden Peach Iced Tea
I didn’t get into iced tea until I was in my twenties, but I’ve become a huge fan since then. Sometimes I even pick it over a cocktail!
When you’re making it at home, nothing beats going 100% homemade. The great news is that it’s super easy to make a flavored simple syrup with just sugar, water, and pretty much any fruit you can think of.
18. Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
This has to be one of the prettiest dishes on the whole list! The colors are just incredible, and I love how simple it is to put together.
Instead of a heavy sauce, you get so much amazing flavor from the wine, cheese, and cream without drowning the pasta. The mix of peppers is perfect, but I also like to add some cherry tomatoes and grated carrot for a little extra sweetness.
19. Olive Garden Bruschetta Recipe
Bruschetta is usually a slice of crusty, toasted bread that’s topped with a tomato salsa. The salsa is made from fresh chopped tomatoes, not canned, and some Italian seasoning. It’s definitely not the kind of salsa you’d dip chips in!
I like to rub a garlic clove right on the toast to make sure that flavor is nice and strong, and I think French baguettes work the best for this. Just remember to drain your tomato mixture before you serve it so the bread doesn’t get soggy.