The first time I tasted this Olive Garden Three Meat Sauce was on a rainy Sunday afternoon after my family had canceled our dinner reservation due to a sudden storm. Determined not to miss our Italian food night, I decided to recreate Olive Garden’s famous meat sauce at home. What began as a desperate attempt to salvage our tradition became a delicious revelation. This homemade version was even better than the restaurant’s original! The rich aroma of three distinct meats simmering with tomatoes and herbs filled our kitchen, transforming our disappointing day into a memorable feast.
Why This Recipe Works
Combining ground beef, Italian sausage, and pepperoni creates a flavor trifecta that eliminates the need for extensive herbs or spices. Each meat contributes something unique: ground beef provides the hearty base, Italian sausage adds aromatic spices and depth. At the same time, pepperoni introduces a subtle kick and richness that ordinary meat sauces lack. Starting with prepared marinara sauce significantly cuts down preparation time without sacrificing flavor.
Ingredients
- Marinara Sauce – Forms the tomato-rich base of the sauce, providing balanced acidity and herb flavors
- Crushed Tomatoes – Adds texture and fresh tomato flavor to complement the prepared marinara
- Onions – Creates a savory foundation and natural sweetness when caramelized
- Olive Oil РUsed for saut̩ing and adds a subtle fruity note to the sauce
- Ground Beef – Provides the classic meaty flavor and hearty texture
- Italian Sausage – Contributes complex seasonings including fennel, garlic, and herbs
- Pepperoni – Adds a distinctive spicy kick and rich depth from cured meat flavors
- Italian Seasonings – Enhances the herb profile with a blend of oregano, basil, and thyme
Step-by-Step Instructions
This sauce recipe is so easy. It takes only 45 minutes to make and has only 8 ingredients. All you need is a large pot and skillet.
- First, saute the onions in olive oil.
- When the onions are translucent, add the marinara sauce and the can of chopped tomatoes. Turn down to a simmer.
- Combine the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet until completely cooked.
- Drain the fat and add the cooked meat into the large pot with the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add the pepperoni and the Italian seasonings. Stir and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
- This makes a very large pot of sauce. If you have a larger family, consider stretching the sauce with an additional jar of marinara or a can of tomatoes.
- Since we are adding so many different spicy meats, wait until all the meats season the sauce before making any adjustments.
- If you have a smaller family, you may want to freeze this sauce and use it later.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the Olive Garden meat sauce they use both ground beef and pork Italian sausage for their spaghetti sauce with meat.
Yes, it does.
If you have prepared spaghetti and meat sauce at home, the best option is not to store the sauce and the pasta SEPERATELY. If you can not do this, I recommend heating pasta on the stovetop and add a little water or marinara sauce if you can. Heat the spaghetti very slowly.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store sauce separately from pasta in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Freezer: Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months
- Reheating: Warm slowly over medium-low heat, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed to restore consistency
Olive Garden Three Meat Sauce Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 48 ounces marinara sauce 2 jars
- 16 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage removed from casings
- 1/2 cup pepperoni chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
Instructions
- Saute onions in a large pot with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When onions have become translucent add the two jars of marina sauce, and can of chopped tomatoes, and turn down to simmer.
- In a large skillet brown ground beef and Italian sausage until completely cooked, drain fat from meat, and add meat into the large pot with the sauce. Add chopped pepperoni to the sauce mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings to the mixture and all to simmer for about 20 minutes before you season to taste with salt and pepper.Â
Notes
- This makes a very large pot of sauce, if you have a larger family, consider stretching the sauce with an additional jar of marinara, or a can of tomatoes.
- Since we are adding so many different spicy meats, wait until the all of the meats season the sauce before making any adjustments.
- If you have a smaller family, you may want to freeze this sauce, and use later.
- The key to developing deep flavor is allowing the three meats to simmer together with the sauce. Resist the urge to rush this final cooking stage as the flavors meld and intensify during this time. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can pulse the pepperoni in a food processor before adding it rather than dicing it by hand.
Nutrition
More Copycat Olive Garden Recipes
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Italian Lemon Cream Cake
- 5 Cheese Lasagna
- Olive Garden House Salad
- Formaggio Pizza
- Olive Garden Asiago Chicken Recipe
- Best Berry Sangria Recipe
- Chicken Scampi
- Gorgonzola Steak Alfredo
More Great Sauce Recipes
Be sure to check out delicious restaurant breads and restaurant pasta recipes.
Absolutely delicious! Used a little more marina and did not add the crushed tomatoes. Also used 1/2 lb. each of hot and sweet sausage.
Is there a particular brand of marinara sauce. I would think it would make a difference on the taste you are trying achieve from Olive Garden….
I have used Prego and Hunts both with good results. I feel the meat cooking in the sauce tends to override the nuances the sauce may have.
FYI, I am an older, experienced cook and I can tell you that the most authentic spaghetti sauce on the same level with an Italian grandmother’s cooking is, Rao’s marinara. It is a little pricier, a few dollars more and I buy it at either Walmart or Kroger. I checked out reviews before I tried it and I can tell you it runs circles around the others. Hope this helps. Stay safe everyone!
I have tried Rao’s just recently, it is really good!
Raos is the best, tried them all. thanks for the recipe…
I like Mezzetta if I don’t have time to make my own. I think it is very close to homemade. I lived in Sicily for a couple of years and learned about Italian and Sicilian food from 2 Sicilian ladies that worked for me.
The Olive Garden adds Merlot, how much I don’t know, but with this much sauce a cup wouldn’t be out of line. This is wonderful over angel hair pasta which holds the sauce much better than normal spaghetti.
I think wine often makes a sausage extra special.
My sons really liked this sauce. It’s going into regular rotation.
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
I make this sauce, but cook my own tomato sauce with the meat, but add chianti towards the end of the 2 hrs of simmering, WOW does this kick it up a notch!
how much chianti do you add to your recipe? that would make it more similar to olive garden’s recipe!
This recipe was from 2011 Never Ending Pasta bowl, I don’t recall the chianti. I would start with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to see how that tastes.
I’m definitely going to try this! I’ve been trying for years to find a recipe for meat sauce to serve at home that has the flavors of restaurant sauce. My previous attempts have resulted in a bland tasting sauce with almost no tomato flavor left at all. Hopefully this one will work!
looks amazingly delicious!
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We had a total of 10 people last night for dinner. Several went back for 2nds and one person, thirds! There was plenty of food and everyone absolutely loved it. I did add in one extra jar of marinara sauce because I was afraid I might not have enough. I had some for lunch today and there are still a couple of servings left!!!
I just love a hearty pasta sauce with lots of meat. Delicious. Jamie, I am presuming it is Marinara sauce, as this is not a fishy dish, as a Marina sauce would imply.
I just made a typo 😉
Does the ingredient really mean “Marinara” sauce? I’ve never heard of Marina. Thanks.