Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Olive Garden has more pastas and options than one’s stomach can handle. But if you’re up for the challenge, the casual dining restaurant offers the occasional Never Ending Pasta Bowl deal, where you can eat as much pasta as you can fit in your belly. If you’re wondering what sauce to get on your next carb-laden dish, I tried all six options that are currently available: Meat Sauce, Spicy Three-Meat Sauce, Traditional Marinara, Five Cheese Marinara, Creamy Mushroom, and Alfredo.
I must preface that nothing is bad or unpalatable in any way, but something has to rank last, right? I based my judgments on personal preference and overall flavor, preferring the more interesting sauces. Whichever one you pick, just feel good knowing the sauces are made in-house every day, ensuring a fresh, homemade taste each time you visit.
If you’re interested in the Never Ending Pasta Bowl, it is available until November 16, 2025. My local Olive Garden priced it starting at $15.99, but other locations may offer it as low as $13.99. You also have the option to add toppings in the form of the Crispy Chicken Fritta, meatballs, or Italian sausage. There are many mistakes to avoid at Olive Garden, and one of them is not taking advantage of this offer while it’s available. Just make sure to save room for one of the desserts. Now, let’s get on with the tasting.
Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.
6. Traditional Marinara
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Although it ranks last, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the marinara. I’m sure there are plenty of die-hard Olive Garden marinara fans out there. It’s a solid sauce, but I found it a little boring and slightly acidic for my personal taste. It’s tomato-forward, as you’d expect. It has an acidic base with a slightly sweet aftertaste. With no other elements to divert the flavor, the acidity really comes to the forefront and takes the stage.
Those prone to heartburn may want to bring some antacid with them to alleviate any symptoms. However, you may want to add the freshly grated Parmesan that the restaurant offers; this brings a touch of creaminess to the sauce to act as a balance. I much preferred it with the cheesy addition, but you may also want to try pairing it with one of the creamy Olive Garden soups, such as Zuppa Toscana. Although fine, I’d pick other sauces because they have a bit more to offer than the tomatoey flavor alone. Still, this would be a good pick for those who like simplicity.
5. Meat Sauce
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
The meat sauce is a blend of pan-seared beef and Italian sausage, which brings a mildly fatty mouthfeel and overall flavor profile to your pasta. The beef kind of blends with the flavors of the sauce, while the sausage brings a welcome fattiness. There’s a good amount of meat, which provides you with something to chew on, versus the softer yet chunkier texture of tomato alone. The protein element also offers added sustenance that you don’t get from the marinara, making it feel more hearty if you plan to go without adding any toppings.
The tomato provides a similar hint of acidity and umami as the marinara, but this sauce is more interesting because of the meat component. There’s a good pile of the sauce, meaning you can fully mix it into your pasta to give every piece a bit of that tomato and meat taste. Because of the meat addition, I’d say this sauce has a slight edge and a higher ranking than the marinara.
4. Spicy Three-Meat Sauce
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
The limited-time three-meat sauce should stay on the menu; it provides a more dynamic flavor and mouthfeel than the standard meat sauce, not just in the form of heat. The three meats offer a chewier texture and intriguing flavor, while the mild heat rounds it all out. Olive Garden combines pepperoni with ground beef and Italian sausage to create its spicy three-meat sauce.
This sauce has a hint of heat from chili flakes as well as ingredients like cherry pepper, red bell pepper, red wine, garlic, and herbs. I found myself choosing it over the regular meat sauce because it was more flavorful. The addition of pepperoni gives it a richness, while the chili flakes offer a light touch of spice that gives you a warming sensation in every bite. None of Olive Garden’s other sauces offer heat, so I think this would make a great addition to the permanent repertoire. Everything about this sauce is better than the previous two options.
3. Five Cheese Marinara
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
The Five Cheese Sauce marvelously blends the tomato and cheese components to create a vibrant sauce; it balances the slightly sweet, bright acidity of the tomato with the mellowing nature of the cheese’s creaminess. In a Tasting Table interview with Olive Garden executive chef Terrence Tookes, we learned that the five cheeses are ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, fontina, and finally, asiago. The result is a somewhat smooth sauce; it still has the occasional tomato lump, but it’s considerably more silky (in taste and texture) than any of the previous sauces.
This sauce has a pinkish-red shade that helps it stand out, while the liquidity allows it to fall to the bottom of the bowl, hugging the curves of the pasta. I found the flavors more compelling than anything else I’d tried thus far. The cheese element fixes my biggest issue with the marinara (acidity), making it more enjoyable and well-rounded. If you want a non-meat tomato-based sauce, then this is the one to get.
2. Alfredo
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Anything with Alfredo (chicken tortelloni Alfredo, fettuccine Alfredo, shrimp Alfredo, etc.) is considered one of Olive Garden’s best pasta dishes — just a little tidbit to know if it’s your first time visiting Olive Garden and you’re not sure what to order. Therefore, it makes sense that the decadent sauce also ranks high when focusing solely on the sauce aspect. It’s lush and creamy, delightfully coating the tongue with each bite. The sprinkle of parsley brings a nice color contrast to the otherwise beige dish, too.
For me, Alfredo has always been a classic; fettuccine Alfredo from any restaurant would be my go-to as a young teen. It’s comforting, buttery, and simply tasty. Olive Garden’s version is all of the above, making it a mainstay for anyone who wants that reassuring bite. As far as the consistency, it’s a bit thick, a little coagulated, with a mild oiliness. Nevertheless, the creamy taste of the sauce gets into the pasta crevices, making for a scrumptious experience. The next sauce, though, beat it out because it is even more captivating.
1. Creamy Mushroom
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Before I begin, let me say that I know mushroom is a love-it or hate-it food. If you detest it, then consider Alfredo as the top pick and sauce champion. But if you like the umami notes of fungi, then you will adore the mushroom sauce. It has a runnier consistency than the Alfredo, allowing it to really get into the nooks and crannies of your pasta. Not only that, but it appears like there’s a bit more sauce.
This has the creaminess of Alfredo but with more to offer — it’s savory, salty, and earthy thanks to the mushrooms, and a touch oily. Plus, you get the sauteed mushroom pieces, which give an almost meaty texture to your bite and an earthy profile to the pasta. Each morsel offers a burst of flavor that leaves you wanting to shovel the next piece of pasta into your mouth. Those who are fans of fungi may also be interested in the chicken marsala, which was ranked the best non-pasta entree at Olive Garden. Overall, this has an unbeatable, compelling flavor that’s anything but one-note with a fluid consistency that further enhances the taste of your pasta.
Methodology
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
I visited my local Olive Garden and picked rigatoni as my pasta of choice. I like the way the sauces can envelope the pasta from the inside out, but you could decide from three other options: fettuccine, spaghetti, or angel hair. I ranked the sauces mainly based on personal preference and flavor. I sought out more dimensional flavors, which ranked high, while the plainer options ranked lower. I like mushrooms and thought the flavors were the most dynamic of the bunch, but others may think the fungi is gross — and nobody is wrong. Texture plays a contributing part, but I mainly mention it as a descriptor so you understand what to expect.
I tried all six sauces one after the other and ate each one multiple times to form my thoughts. I kept it simple and did not opt for a topping, although this addition would make all the pasta sauces a bit more interesting. I first tried the sauces without Parmesan and then with it. Again, nothing is the “worst.” All are pretty tasty, and there’s certainly an audience for each option. I mainly based this on what flavors I kept coming back to.
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