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Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

Olive Garden Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

$46.99 2,270 cal Family-Style MealsCatering

Includes: A pan of spaghetti with our traditional homemade marinara sauce. Add Salad Or Soup And Breadsticks To Your Catering Pan To Complete Your Meal
Olive Garden Menu View on OliveGarden.com

About This Dish

Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce at Olive Garden is the purest, most straightforward pasta on the catering menu, priced at $46.99 for a pan serving 4 to 6 guests at 2,270 calories total. The dish contains only spaghetti tossed in the restaurant's traditional homemade marinara, made fresh daily with garlic and herbs. At 49 grams of fat and 4,840 milligrams of sodium, it is the lowest-fat pasta entrée in the catering lineup and the most accessible for guests with dietary restrictions, as it contains no meat or cream.

This is the practical choice for catering orders with mixed dietary needs. Vegetarian guests and those avoiding cream-based sauces have a reliable option, while the familiar flavor of quality tomato sauce makes it the most universally accepted pasta on the menu. At $46.99, it is tied as one of the most budget-friendly catering pasta options. The pan is best paired with a separate protein addition for guests who want a heartier meal.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving

2270 Calories
49g Total Fat
4840mg Sodium

* Nutritional values are approximate and may vary. Last updated March 2026.

How to Copycat Olive Garden Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce at Home?

Prep: 5 min Cook: 30 min Total: 35 min Easy

Olive Garden's marinara sauce is made fresh every day at each location, which gives it a brightness and depth that jarred marinara consistently fails to match. The copycat recipe works because it focuses on the two most important steps the restaurant uses: properly blooming the garlic in olive oil before adding tomatoes, and simmering long enough to concentrate the sauce without overcooking the fresh herb notes.

The copycat Olive Garden Spaghetti with Marinara stays deliberately simple. Crushed San Marzano tomatoes are the closest match to the restaurant's flavor. A small amount of sugar balances the acidity without making the sauce taste sweet. Fresh basil added off heat at the end provides the aromatic finishing note that distinguishes this from a basic canned tomato sauce.

Ingredients

6 servings

Marinara Sauce

Pasta

Instructions

0 / 5

  1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 90 seconds until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden.

    2 min

    Watch the garlic carefully. It goes from golden to burnt in under 30 seconds and burnt garlic ruins the entire sauce.

  2. Pour in crushed tomatoes. Add dried basil, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

    2 min

  3. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce deepens in color and thickens slightly.

    25 min

  4. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh basil. Taste and adjust salt.

    1 min

  5. Cook spaghetti in heavily salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and serve topped with marinara sauce and extra Parmesan.

    10 min

Pro Tips

  • San Marzano tomatoes are worth the extra cost. Their lower acidity and sweeter flesh produce a noticeably better sauce than generic canned crushed tomatoes.
  • Simmer the sauce uncovered so excess water evaporates and the flavor concentrates. Covering the pot produces a thinner, less intense sauce.
  • Make a double batch and freeze in quart containers. The sauce reheats perfectly and you have restaurant-quality marinara ready in 5 minutes.

Variations

Arrabiata Version

Add 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic for a spicy tomato sauce.

Meat Sauce Upgrade

Brown 1 lb of combined ground beef and Italian sausage before adding the tomatoes to convert the marinara into a full meat sauce.

Serving Ideas

  • Serve with extra Parmesan and fresh basil on the table
  • Pairs with any protein — grilled chicken, meatballs, or Italian sausage
  • Garlic breadsticks are the classic accompaniment
  • A glass of Chianti Classico is the traditional Italian pairing for tomato-based pasta

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Find Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce Near You

Visit one of Olive Garden's 900+ locations to enjoy the Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce at $46.99.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce catering pan is priced at $46.99 and serves 4 to 6 guests. Individual dine-in portions cost less. Prices vary in New York, Alaska, and California.
The full catering pan contains 2,270 calories total with 49 grams of fat and 4,840 milligrams of sodium. It is the lowest-calorie pasta option among the Classic Entrées catering pans. Per 6 servings, each portion is approximately 378 calories.
Yes, Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce is fully vegetarian. The marinara sauce contains no meat, only tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. It is also the most dietary-restriction-friendly pasta on the catering menu, suitable for vegetarians and those avoiding cream or meat.
Saute minced garlic in olive oil for 60 seconds, add crushed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce thickens and the raw tomato taste cooks out. Fresh basil stirred in at the end closely matches the restaurant's flavor.
Olive Garden uses standard spaghetti pasta made from semolina wheat flour. The restaurant prepares its sauces fresh daily and toss the spaghetti in the sauce before serving. For home preparation, any quality semolina-based spaghetti works well with the homemade marinara recipe.