Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl promotion returns on Oct. 3. The $100 pasta passes that once granted near-unlimited access are already sold out, but through Nov. 20 you can enjoy seemingly endless pasta for $9.99.
Well, sort of.
If you’re someone who finds joy in simple comforts, like I do, a pasta-and-sauce pairing might satisfy your carb craving for an evening.
But if you want to add a protein — Olive Garden offers grilled chicken, Italian sausage, meatballs, crispy chicken fritta or crispy shrimp fritta — there’s an extra charge beginning at $2.99.
That pushes the cost of this refillable pasta feast to at least $12.98 before tax. That’s nearly the price of a regular entree: on the standard menu, Fettuccine Alfredo is $12.99, Chicken Alfredo rings in at $14.99, and Shrimp Alfredo costs $16.79.
Sure, the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl literally doesn’t end, but you can’t bring any refill portions home with you.
How much pasta can you truly consume? Fortunately, there’s a smarter choice.
What to Order Instead If You Go to Olive Garden
Rather than opting for the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl, pick from the Cucina Mia selection of classic pasta combinations, which also start at $9.99.
You’ll still face an upcharge for protein, ranging from $2.49 to add two sausage links up to $4.99 to add 20 sautéed shrimp. Yet there are a few advantages to this choice that can make it a smarter value than the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl.
Cucina Mia includes a couple of options not available with the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl, like garlic white wine sauce and sautéed shrimp.
You’re also allowed to take this meal home. While Olive Garden’s official policy states that all Never-Ending Pasta Bowls are for dine-in only, Cucina Mia dishes can be ordered to go, or you can request a to-go container if you’re dining there.
There aren’t refills with Cucina Mia, but you may not require them: Olive Garden’s nutritional information makes it clear these entrées are calorie-dense.
The five-cheese marinara on the Cucina Mia menu, for example, contains 460 calories per serving, 34 grams of fat and 1,140 mg of sodium.
Asiago garlic alfredo? That’s 940 calories, 91 grams of fat and 1,320 mg of sodium — and that’s only the sauce, not counting pasta or protein add-ons.
So yes, you could get the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl. Or you could order essentially the same plate, with the ability to take leftovers home and enjoy them for lunch the next day. Now that’s a Savinly move.
Your Turn: Will you stand in line for the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl at Olive Garden?
Update: We’ve updated the details regarding the upcharge for adding protein to Cucina Mia entrees.
