Olive Garden Pasta Night at Home

By Stephanie Manley Updated 11/12/26

Olive Garden Pasta Night at Home is a roundup of 15 of my copycat recipes, including pasta dishes, chicken and shrimp entrees, and a vegetarian eggplant parmigiana. You’ll find weeknight favorites, baked casseroles, and a few dishes good for company, all made with easy-to-find ingredients.

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Some nights call for a big bowl of pasta and nothing else. If you have been craving that Olive Garden feeling but don’t want to drive across town or wait for a table, this roundup is for you. I have gathered 15 of my Olive Garden copycat recipes so you can pick a dinner and have it on the table at home.

The list runs from light to hearty. You’ll find Alfredo and carbonara, a rich three-meat sauce, and baked dishes like Five Cheese Ziti al Forno and Four Cheese Manicotti. Chicken and shrimp options, a vegetarian eggplant parmigiana, and a quick Capellini Pomodoro are also available for busy weeknights.

Pasta night has become one of my favorite ways to gather everyone around the table, and I think you’ll find something here for a weeknight or a weekend. Each one uses ingredients you can find at the regular grocery store, so you can skip the drive and still get the flavor you remember. Read through, pick one, and start with the dish that sounds most like your favorite order.

1. Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce: Creamy Restaurant Perfection

A bowl of pasta with homemade Olive Garden Alfredo sauce

Start with the sauce that started it all. This Alfredo is built on heavy cream, butter, and real grated Parmesan, and it comes together in about 20 minutes. Use heavy cream rather than milk or half and half, because only the heavy cream gives it that thick, clingy texture.

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2. Olive Garden Three Meat Sauce | Authentic Copycat Recipe

a bowl of three meat sauce

Three meats, one pot. Ground beef and Italian sausage are browned in a skillet, then join marinara, crushed tomatoes, and pepperoni for a sauce that takes about 45 minutes. It’s a hearty choice for spooning over any pasta shape you have on hand.

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3. Olive Garden Grilled Sausage and Peppers Rustica

a bowl of homemade Olive Garden Grilled Sausage and Peppers Rustica

Sausage and peppers make this one a weeknight dinner. Italian sausage, red and yellow bell peppers, onion, and marinara are tossed with penne and topped with mozzarella. You can swap in whatever pasta or bell peppers your family likes.

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4. Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo – Easy Copycat Recipe

Copycat Olive Garden shrimp alfredo on two plates.

Shrimp Alfredo is the seafood pick on the list. Large shrimp are seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, then served over fettuccine in a butter, cream, and Parmesan sauce. You can have the whole dish on the table in under 20 minutes.

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5. Perfect Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Recipe

Copycat Olive Garden chicken marsala on a plate and in a skillet.

Chicken Marsala is the one to make for a weekend dinner. Chicken breasts are dredged in seasoned flour with oregano, seared in butter and oil, then simmered with white button mushrooms, onion, and dry marsala wine. It all comes together in one skillet.

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6. Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno Copycat Recipe

Copycat Olive Garden five cheese ziti al forno on two plates.

Five Cheese Ziti al Forno is the baked option. Ziti goes into a rosa sauce made from marinara and Alfredo, with ricotta and an Italian cheese blend, then gets a golden panko topping with garlic and Parmesan. You can use a jarred sauce or make your own.

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7. Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro | Quick 15-Minute Pasta

copycat Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro in a bowl

Capellini Pomodoro is the lightest pasta here. It’s just fresh plum tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil over thin capellini that cooks in 2 to 3 minutes. Make it on a busy night when you want something bright and satisfying.

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8. Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana (Copycat Recipe)

copycat Olive Garden chicken parmigiana and pasta on a platter.

Chicken Parmigiana is the crispy one. Chicken breasts are coated in flour, egg, and Italian breadcrumbs, fried in vegetable oil, then topped with marinara and mozzarella. The breading technique is what keeps the coating from sliding off.

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9. Olive Garden Spaghetti and Meatballs

Copycat Olive Garden spaghetti and meatballs on a platter.

Spaghetti and meatballs is the comfort classic. The meatballs are made with ground chuck, bread crumbs, whole milk, and egg, and they bake up juicy. The marinara blooms garlic in olive oil and simmers canned tomatoes for a smooth, bright sauce.

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10. Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Recipe

Homemade Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara on a plate

Chicken and shrimp carbonara is the richest dish in the roundup. Breaded chicken tenders and large shrimp go over bucatini or spaghetti with a sauce built from eggs, bacon, butter, and garlic. The panko coating stays crunchy even after it’s sauced.

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11. Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

overhead view of copycat Olive Garden chicken scampi on a plate.

Chicken Scampi is the budget-friendly pick. Chicken tenders are dredged in flour, milk, salt, and pepper, then served with red, green, and orange bell peppers, red onion, and garlic in a white wine and cream sauce over pasta. It’s an easy way to feed the whole family.

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12. Olive Garden Grilled Chicken Alfredo Recipe (Easy Copycat in 30 Minutes)

Two servings of copycat Olive Garden grilled chicken alfredo.

Grilled Chicken Alfredo is the fastest version on the list. Olive oil-seared chicken breasts sit on fettuccine tossed in a sauce of cream, butter, Parmesan, and garlic powder. It takes about 30 minutes, which is why it’s a regular on my busy weeknights.

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13. Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

homemade Olive Garden Asiago Torgelloni Alfredo with chicken on a plate

Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo is the showpiece. Cheese tortellini gets a two-cheese Alfredo with Parmesan and Asiago, then grilled chicken, panko, and broiled mozzarella go on top. It’s easy enough for a weeknight and impressive enough for company.

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14. Olive Garden Eggplant Parmigiana Easy Copycat Recipe

copycat Olive Garden eggplant parmigiana, pasta, and marinara on a platter.

Eggplant Parmigiana is the vegetarian option. Eggplant slices are salted, breaded, and fried, then layered with homemade marinara and melted mozzarella. Even meat lovers tend to go back for seconds.

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15. Olive Garden Four Cheese Manicotti

Baked cheese manicotti in marinara covered with cheese.

Four Cheese Manicotti is the one for a crowd. Pasta tubes are stuffed with a creamy ricotta filling, set in a slow-simmered homemade marinara, and finished with golden mozzarella. Plan an afternoon for it, since you make the sauce and filling from scratch.

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Pick one and make it this week, then come back and tell me which one your family asked for again. I’ll keep adding Olive Garden favorites here, so bookmark this page for your next pasta night.

More Ideas

REVEALED Olive Garden Copycat Recipes

yes, you CAN make it at home! I’ll show you how.

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