The Olive Garden Takeout Tip You Need If You Can't Get Enough Sauce
When you think of Olive Garden, images of endless breadsticks and that signature salad might come to mind first — but close after, you may see visions of the chain restaurant's pasta. If you're a fan of Olive Garden's pasta offerings, you're sure to know its signature sauces: Traditional marinara, creamy five cheese marinara, beef and Italian sausage meat sauce, and, of course, cheesy alfredo sauce.
If there's ever been a time you wished you could have an extra helping of these sauces at home, you're in luck: You can buy them by the pint through Olive Garden's online ordering app, under the catering section. The marinara, five cheese marinara, meat sauce, and alfredo sauce are all available, both in sauce and dipping sauce form (though the company is not exactly clear how these two options differ, as they have the same prices and calorie counts). This equates to a great deal if you're willing to whip up some pasta at home to go with it.
Read more: The Best Tips For Cooking Pasta, According To Lidia Bastianich
A Better Bang For Your Buck
While you can certainly order pasta entrees from the Olive Garden takeout app, ordering the sauce by itself and then cooking and adding your own pasta later gives you a much better value. The sauce pints cost around $8 to $11, and though pricing may vary by location, that's still several dollars cheaper than their fettuccine alfredo meal (which costs around $16), or even their spaghetti with marinara (which is around $13). A box of pasta costs just a few dollars –– if that –– and with the pint of sauce, you're looking at several days' worth of food rather than a single meal.
Not satisfied with just the sauce? Olive Garden also sells its breadsticks and salad to-go, as well as its soups. And if you want to buy those breadsticks in bulk but don't want to overload on carbs, there's actually a way to freeze the breadsticks and thaw them out when you're ready to eat — they'll keep much longer that way. Simply wrap each breadstick in plastic wrap, put them in a labeled freezer bag, and reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit when you're ready to chow down.
Another Money-Saving Olive Garden Takeout Tip
If you don't want the hassle or temptation of having a pint of sauce in your fridge, there's another Olive Garden takeout menu hack to get a meal at a value price. Take advantage of the children's menu when ordering to-go: For dine-in customers, these options are only for kids under 12, but for take-out, there's no way for anyone to check ages.
Though children's portions are smaller than the standard and don't come with salad and breadsticks, they're also significantly cheaper — up to half the price of an adult entree, in some cases. If you're looking for a lighter meal at a lighter price, look no further. All four pasta sauce varieties are available on the children's menu, and you even get your choice of pasta shape (fettuccine, shells, or spaghetti) and a side and beverage. Toppings such as shrimp or chicken are available too, at a small upcharge.
Read the original article on Daily Meal.
