Olive Garden Classic Entrées Menu

Olive Garden Classic Entrées Menu Overview

The classic entrées section is where most of the money is spent at Olive Garden. It holds the alfredo family (fettuccine alfredo, chicken alfredo, shrimp alfredo, seafood alfredo and chicken tortelloni alfredo), the tomato sauce pastas (spaghetti with marinara or meat sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna classico), the parmigianas (chicken and eggplant), three carbonaras, two scampis, two sirloin tip pastas, and the grilled plates: grilled chicken margherita, stuffed chicken marsala, herb grilled salmon and the 6 oz sirloin.

Prices cluster between $17.29 and $22.79. The two spaghettis at $13.99 are the floor, and the herb grilled salmon at $27.29 is the ceiling. Every state we sampled prices California, New York and Alaska two to six dollars above the typical figure.

Olive Garden Pasta Classics

The pastas divide by sauce. Cream based dishes run 1,200 to 1,980 calories: fettuccine alfredo is 1220, chicken alfredo 1480, and the chicken tortelloni alfredo tops the whole menu at 1980. Tomato based dishes run 490 to 970: spaghetti with marinara is 490, spaghetti with meat sauce 640, and lasagna classico 940.

Baked dishes, five cheese ziti al forno, ravioli carbonara and lasagna classico, hold their heat best for takeout. The tossed alfredos are best eaten in the restaurant within minutes of arriving.

Chicken, Seafood and Steak Entrées

Chicken shows up in eight entrées, from the breaded chicken parmigiana at $20.49 to the grilled stuffed chicken marsala at $20.99. Seafood covers shrimp scampi, shrimp alfredo, shrimp carbonara, seafood alfredo with scallops and the salmon. Steak appears as sirloin tips in the steak gorgonzola alfredo and the Calabrian steak and shrimp bucatini, and as a whole 6 oz sirloin.

The grilled plates are the lightest way through this menu: grilled chicken margherita at 650 calories, shrimp scampi at 490 and herb grilled salmon at 510 all sit under 700 calories with the side included.

Which Olive Garden Entrées Come in Smaller Portions

Ten classic entrées have a lighter portion at dinner and a lunch sized version on weekdays: fettuccine alfredo, spicy alfredo fettuccine, chicken parmigiana, lasagna classico, spaghetti and meatballs, five cheese ziti al forno, cheese ravioli, eggplant parmigiana, shrimp scampi and spaghetti. The smaller sizes cut calories by 300 to 500 and prices by roughly a third; every item page lists each size with its own price and calorie count.

Olive Garden Classic Entrées Menu with Prices

Typical US prices for every classic entrées item, sorted from cheapest to most expensive, with the lowest and highest price we found across 49 states.

Typical US price = the most common price across our state sample. Prices are higher in California, New York and Alaska. Verify with your local restaurant before ordering.

Olive Garden Classic Entrées Nutrition Facts

Calories and macros per serving as listed in the official Olive Garden nutrition guide. Use the calculator to add items together.

Source: Olive Garden nutrition guide (US restaurants). Values are for the standard dinner portion unless the item is a lunch or kids dish. Open the nutrition calculator to total a meal.

Healthier Ordering Tips for Classic Entrées

• Choose a tomato sauce pasta over a cream sauce; spaghetti with marinara is 490 calories against 1220 for fettuccine alfredo at a lower price.
• Order the lighter portion of any of the ten dishes that offer it; the lasagna lighter portion is 500 calories.
• Pick the house salad with dressing on the side instead of soup; most soups add 200 calories and 800 mg or more of sodium.
• Grilled chicken margherita (650 cal, 15 g carbs) and shrimp scampi (490 cal) are the two lightest full plates.
• Ask for a ToGo box with the entrée and pack half before you start; the plates are sized for it.

Best Classic Entrées for Different Customers

Allergy and Ingredient Note

Every pasta entrée contains wheat and gluten; the gluten sensitive alternatives use rotini and appear on the gluten sensitive menu. Cream sauces and the parmigianas contain dairy. Shrimp dishes contain crustacean shellfish and the seafood alfredo adds mollusks. Dishes made with wine (shrimp scampi, chicken scampi, stuffed chicken marsala, the carbonaras) are flagged for sulfites. See the allergen menu for the full matrix.

Final Thoughts

The Olive Garden classic entrées menu rewards two strategies: order the alfredo dishes for indulgence and take half home, or order the tomato and grilled plates for a dinner under 700 calories at the lowest prices on the board. Either way the soup, salad and breadsticks come free, so the entrée is the only line that changes the bill.