Olive Garden Copycat Recipes You Can Make at Home

Soups Recipes

Zuppa Toscana

50 min · 6 servings

Spicy sausage, potatoes and kale in a creamy broth.

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Chicken Gnocchi Soup

45 min · 6 servings

Creamy chicken soup with soft potato gnocchi and spinach.

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Pasta e Fagioli

55 min · 8 servings

Hearty beef, bean and tomato soup with small pasta.

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Minestrone Soup

55 min · 8 servings

Light vegetable, bean and pasta soup. Vegetarian.

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Sauces, Dressing and Bread Recipes

Alfredo Sauce

20 min · 4 servings (about 2½ cups)

Rich butter, cream and Parmesan sauce in 20 minutes.

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Italian Salad Dressing

10 min · about 1½ cups

The creamy, tangy house dressing and the salad it goes on.

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Breadsticks

105 min · 12 breadsticks

Soft yeast breadsticks brushed with garlic butter.

COOK

Easy Dinners Recipes

What Makes Olive Garden Food Taste Like Olive Garden

• Salt and fat, used generously. Restaurant cream sauces use more butter, cream and cheese than most home cooks. Don't cut them if you want the real taste.
• Romano with Parmesan. A little Pecorino Romano adds the sharp, salty edge you notice in the dressing and Alfredo.
• Browning first. Searing sausage or chicken and scraping up the browned bits gives the soups their depth.
• Garlic salt on the bread. The breadstick topping is butter and garlic salt, not fresh garlic.

Is It Cheaper to Make at Home?

Almost always. A pot of homemade Zuppa Toscana feeds six for about the price of two bowls in the restaurant, and a jar's worth of Alfredo sauce costs a few dollars. The restaurant still wins on convenience and the unlimited refills, so we use both: cook at home on weeknights, and go out for weekday lunch when someone else should do the dishes.

Copycat Recipes: Questions People Ask