Is Olive Garden Considered Traditional Italian Food? Here's What To Know

It's no secret that Olive Garden is a beloved restaurant in the United States, but does it actually serve traditionally Italian cuisine? Given its menu, which overflows with different pasta options and soups made in-house, it might look like the real deal to the naked eye. But according to Anthony Neal Macri, creative director at Calabria Food Fest, it's more of an American interpretation of Italian cuisine than anything else. 

"In Italy, meals are deeply tied to local ingredients, seasonality, and simplicity — every region has its own dishes and methods that rarely overlap," Macri told Food Republic. "Olive Garden, by contrast, merges elements from all over Italy (and even beyond) into a standardized, comfort-driven format designed for consistency across hundreds of locations."

While Italian cooking is known for bringing together just a handful of simple and fresh ingredients in a profound way, Macri said that Olive Garden tends to add in ingredients that make the meals creamier and richer than their European counterparts. This is largely an effort to appeal to American palates. "You could say Italian cuisine is about balance, while Olive Garden's version is about plenty," he explained. And this comes as no shock, as Olive Garden emerged in the early 1980s as a way to capitalize on the growing popularity of American comfort food with an Italian-inspired twist.

If you're looking for a traditional Italian meal, Olive Garden isn't going to be your best bet — but that doesn't mean it won't be delicious for what it is. "Some menu items are inspired by real Italian dishes but heavily adapted," Anthony Neal Macri told us. For example, the restaurant has menu items that are specifically Italian-American, like chicken parm and spaghetti with meatballs. These dishes are unique to the U.S., where they were developed and popularized by Italian immigrant communities. Olive Garden does have some dishes that more closely resemble what you could get in Italy, like shrimp carbonara, but it still has its own spin on it compared to what you'd see overseas.

In general, Macri said that Olive Garden's versions of Italian dishes tend to be both saucier and bigger in portion size in order to adapt to American culture. "That said, some of [Olive Garden's] recent efforts, like regional wine pairings and simpler pasta dishes, show a nod toward authenticity, even if it's filtered through an American lens," he added. For example, Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana is a riff on traditional minestra di pane — a Tuscan dish that turns stale bread into a hearty soup — and its Pasta e Fagioli is based on a classic Italian peasant dish.