Olive Garden Pasta Menu: Never-Ending Pasta, Classics and How to Order
Most of us go to Olive Garden for the pasta. The Olive Garden pasta menu gives you three ways to eat it: order a classic like Fettuccine Alfredo, build your own plate, or, in the fall, go all in on the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl.
This guide covers each one: what comes in every dish, how the unlimited pasta deal works, and which picks suit gluten-free or meat-free diners. For the rest of the restaurant, see our full Olive Garden menu with prices.
Key facts
- The 2026 Never-Ending Pasta Bowl runs from August 31 to November 22.
- It starts at $14.99 and includes soup or salad and breadsticks.
- Protein toppings add $4.99. You pay once and can switch toppings on refills.
- Refills are dine-in only.
- Create Your Own Pasta stays on the regular menu all year.
- Ask for gluten-free rotini if you avoid gluten.
- Prices vary by location.
What’s on the Olive Garden Pasta Menu?
Olive Garden’s pasta menu has three parts:
- Never-Ending Pasta Bowl. A limited-time deal. You pick a pasta, a sauce and a topping, then keep refilling.
- Create Your Own Pasta. The year-round version. You build one plate your way.
- Classic pasta entrées. House favorites like Chicken Alfredo, Lasagna Classico and Shrimp Scampi.
Every pasta entrée comes with the never-ending first course when you dine in: soup or salad plus warm breadsticks.
How the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Works
Think of the Olive Garden unlimited pasta menu as a build-your-own bowl with no limit. Choose a pasta, a sauce and, if you want, a protein topping. When you finish, your server brings a fresh bowl, and you can switch the combo each round. You also get the never-ending first course: the house salad or one of the Olive Garden soups, plus breadsticks.
Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Options for 2026
| Step | Your choices | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pick a pasta | Fettuccine, Spaghetti, Angel Hair, Rigatoni (gluten-free rotini on request) | Included |
| Choose a sauce | Spicy Alfredo (new), Alfredo, Meat Sauce, Five Cheese Marinara, Traditional Marinara, Creamy Mushroom | Included |
| Add a topping | Crispy Shrimp Fritta (new), Crispy Chicken Fritta, Meatballs, Italian Sausage | +$4.99 |
| Bowl with first course | Pasta, sauce, soup or salad, breadsticks | From $14.99 |
Two items are new this year. Spicy Alfredo adds Calabrian peppers to the classic Alfredo for a warm kick. Crispy Shrimp Fritta is lightly breaded, fried shrimp. Both carry a limited-time tag, so try them early.
Tip: Start with a combo you know you love. Save the bold pick, like Spicy Alfredo with Crispy Shrimp Fritta, for round two. Ask for smaller rounds so you can try more combos.
Never-Ending Pasta Rules to Know
- Dine-in only. To Go, online and delivery orders get no refills.
- One person per bowl. Each guest who wants refills needs an order.
- Toppings cost extra. You pay the topping charge once, then switch toppings on refills.
- Participating restaurants only. Prices and choices can differ by restaurant.
What Is the Never-Ending Pasta Pass?
The Pasta Pass came back in 2026 after six years away. Olive Garden sold 10,000 passes for $100 plus tax. The named holder gets unlimited Never-Ending Pasta Bowl meals in the restaurant from August 24 to November 22. The pass doesn’t cover To Go or delivery, and you can’t share it.
When Does Never-Ending Pasta End?
This year’s deal ends on November 22, 2026. Olive Garden brings it back most falls, but it doesn’t run all year. Outside the promo window, Create Your Own Pasta gives you the same build-your-own feel without the refills. Watch our Olive Garden specials page for the next run.
Create Your Own Pasta
The Olive Garden create your own pasta menu stays on the regular menu. You build one plate, and it comes with the never-ending first course.
| Step | Your choices | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pick a pasta | Rigatoni, Spaghetti, Angel Hair, Gluten-Free Rotini | Check your local menu |
| Choose a sauce | Creamy Mushroom, Traditional Marinara, Five Cheese Marinara, Meat Sauce | Included |
| Add a topping | Meatballs, Italian Sausage, Crispy Chicken Fritta, Grilled Chicken, Sautéed Shrimp | Check your local menu |
Not sure where to start? Olive Garden suggests three combos:
- Bold: rigatoni with Five Cheese Marinara
- Classic: angel hair with Traditional Marinara
- Hearty: spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Meatballs
Olive Garden makes its meat sauce with pan-seared beef and Italian sausage.
Classic Olive Garden Pasta Dishes
You’ll find these house pastas on the Olive Garden dinner menu most of the year. Prices change from city to city, so check your local menu before you go.
Alfredo Pastas
Olive Garden makes its Alfredo sauce from parmesan, cream, butter and garlic. It’s the base for the chain’s most popular chicken pasta and seafood plates.
| Dish | What’s in it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fettuccine Alfredo | Fettuccine in Alfredo sauce, meat-free | Check your local menu |
| Chicken Alfredo | Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken | Check your local menu |
| Shrimp Alfredo | Fettuccine Alfredo with sautéed shrimp | Check your local menu |
| Seafood Alfredo | Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and scallops | Check your local menu |
| Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo | Cheese-filled tortelloni and chicken in Alfredo | Check your local menu |
| Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo | Steak, Alfredo sauce and gorgonzola over pasta | Check your local menu |
Want the full story on one of these? Read our Shrimp Alfredo guide.
Baked and Red Sauce Pastas
| Dish | What’s in it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lasagna Classico | Layers of pasta, Italian cheeses and meat sauce | Check your local menu |
| Five Cheese Ziti al Forno | Baked ziti with a blend of Italian cheeses | Check your local menu |
| Cheese Ravioli | Cheese ravioli with marinara or meat sauce, topped with mozzarella | Check your local menu |
| Spaghetti with Meat Sauce | Spaghetti with beef and Italian sausage sauce | Check your local menu |
| Spaghetti with Marinara | Spaghetti with traditional marinara, meat-free | Check your local menu |
| Spaghetti and Meatballs | Spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs | Check your local menu |
Scampi, Carbonara and Signature Pastas
| Dish | What’s in it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp Scampi | Shrimp, asparagus and tomatoes with angel hair in garlic sauce | Check your local menu |
| Chicken Scampi | Chicken, bell peppers and red onions in creamy scampi sauce over angel hair | Check your local menu |
| Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara | Chicken and shrimp in a creamy sauce with bacon and roasted red peppers | Check your local menu |
| Ravioli Carbonara | Ravioli in a creamy carbonara sauce | Check your local menu |
| Tour of Italy | Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico and Fettuccine Alfredo on one plate | Check your local menu |
Love the creamy scampi? Our Chicken Scampi page goes deeper.
Tip: Olive Garden rotates limited-time pastas through the year. If you see a “New” or “Limited Time” tag, order it on that visit. It may be gone by your next one.
Smaller Pasta Plates at Lunch
Want pasta for less? Visit on a weekday before 3 p.m. Most restaurants offer Lunch-Sized Favorites, a smaller portion at a lower price. The lineup includes Fettuccine Alfredo, Lasagna Classico, Shrimp Scampi, Cheese Ravioli, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno and Spaghetti and Meatballs. Lunch plates still come with soup or salad and breadsticks. See our Olive Garden lunch menu for details.
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Pasta Options
Can you eat gluten-free at Olive Garden? Yes, with care. Ask for gluten-free rotini and pair it with Traditional Marinara or Meat Sauce. Olive Garden marks those sauces as made without gluten-containing ingredients. Grilled chicken, Italian sausage and sautéed shrimp carry the same mark.
Here’s the catch. Olive Garden kitchens also cook regular pasta, so the restaurant doesn’t call any dish fully gluten-free. Read our Olive Garden gluten-free menu guide before you order.
Skipping meat? Olive Garden marks Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti with Marinara, Traditional Marinara, Five Cheese Marinara and Creamy Mushroom sauce as vegetarian.
Allergy note: Olive Garden pastas contain common allergens like wheat, milk and eggs, and some dishes add shellfish such as shrimp and scallops. Kitchens share equipment, so cross-contact can happen. Check the Olive Garden allergen menu and our dairy-free options guide, and tell your server about any allergy before you order.
Ordering Pasta To Go
You can order any regular pasta entrée for pickup or delivery through the Olive Garden app or website. Never-Ending refills don’t travel, though. For a crowd, look at family-size pans or our Olive Garden catering menu. Our guide to Olive Garden family meals covers bundles that feed 4 to 6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Olive Garden always do endless pasta?
No. The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl is a limited-time deal. In 2026 it runs from August 31 to November 22. Create Your Own Pasta stays on the menu all year, without unlimited refills.
How much is Never-Ending Pasta per person?
It starts at $14.99 per person. A protein topping adds $4.99, and you pay that once. Your local price may run higher.
What is the Never-Ending Pasta combo?
One pasta, one sauce and an optional topping, plus never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks. You can change the combo with each refill.
Can you take Never-Ending Pasta home?
Refills are dine-in only. Ask your server to box up what’s left of your last bowl.
Is there never-ending soup at Olive Garden?
Yes. When you dine in, every adult entrée comes with never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks.
What pasta shapes does Olive Garden have?
The current menus list fettuccine, spaghetti, angel hair, rigatoni and gluten-free rotini. Some dishes use tortelloni, ravioli or ziti.
Does Olive Garden have gluten-free pasta?
Yes. Ask for gluten-free rotini. Olive Garden cooks it in the same kitchen as wheat pasta, so tell your server if you have celiac disease.
What’s the most popular pasta at Olive Garden?
Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Alfredo top most fans’ lists. Lasagna Classico and the Tour of Italy come close.
Final Thoughts on the Olive Garden Pasta Menu
The Olive Garden pasta menu gives you plenty of ways to eat. Go for a classic Alfredo, build your own plate, or grab the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl before November 22. Check your local menu for prices, and order the new Spicy Alfredo while you can. Hungry for more? Browse the full Olive Garden menu with prices.
Planning Your Pasta Night?
See current deals or browse the full menu before you go.
Disclaimer: theolivegardenmenu.com is an independent, unofficial guide. We are not affiliated with Olive Garden or Darden Restaurants. Menu items, deals and prices vary by location and can change at any time.
