5 Of The Best New Olive Garden Dishes In 2026, So Far

Olive Garden keeps regulars on their toes with new rollouts, and its 2026 menus have delighted fans with dishes that are hot in all the right ways. Both new and returning items have found their place on menus, with many new dishes made with Calabrian chili peppers for heat seekers. For those with a demanding appetite, Never-Ending Pasta Bowl options help keep bottomless bellies appeased. 

To make ordering easier, Tasting Table combed through online reviews and user comments to find the top Olive Garden dishes stealing the spotlight, narrowing our picks down to dishes that are either new or back on the menu after an absence. Diners are generous with their comments online, and our shortlist aims to capture some of that enthusiasm.  

Whether you're looking for new flavors to try or fresh ideas for your next Olive Garden visit,  this roundup of Olive Garden offerings provides a bit of culinary inspiration. By highlighting tried-and-true orders sampled at the restaurant, you'll have a better idea of what's worth venturing away from your go-to dishes for. 

If the idea of heat from Calabrian chilies sounds appealing, Olive Garden's Spicy Sausage and Peppers Rigatoni was made for you. This seasonal dish offered a zesty medley of sliced Italian sausage and crisp peppers tossed in a Calabrian cream sauce, and samplers were hooked. The peppers offered just enough texture, and the cheesy cream sauce was balanced by the sausage's earthy flavors.

Though it could be ordered with grilled chicken instead of sausage, the sausage offered a peppery bite that helped build flavor. One customer who tried both options recommended the sausage. On Reddit, one fan called the Calabrian sausage pasta their "new favorite thing," while another on Facebook described the dish as "the best OG I've ever had." 

Those uncertain about spicy meals need not worry, however, as samplers noted that reaching for a glass of milk after trying this dish wasn't required. For those who missed the window of opportunity to try it in the restaurant, home chefs have taken it upon themselves to whip up copycat recipes that you can find online.

Another seasonal addition that had Olive Garden visitors raving was the Calabrian Hot Honey Chicken Bites. Though guests noted the platters could be mistaken for calamari, the succulent pieces of white chicken meat were coated with crispy breading and slathered with Calabrian hot honey sauce. One reviewer likened the flavor profile to Mike's, offering a subtle smokiness and a delicate spice reminiscent of Chili's Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers. Another noted the flavorful pieces offered the right balance of sweet and heat with quality chicken meat. One guest called them "some of the best boneless wings I've ever had, way better even than spots that specialize in wings!" on Instagram.

The bite-sized pieces could be gobbled up alone or dipped in ranch for a creamy addition, and the appetizer could be easily ordered with a salad for a filling meal. Those who tried the dish hoped the restaurant would keep them for longer. If you're still craving more, or never got to try them in the first place, check out Tasting Table's spicy Calabrian chile honey recipe. Tossed with a batch of store-bought frozen chicken tenders, you can easily make your own version at home. 

In a surprise welcomed by some, one discontinued Olive Garden menu item that was nearly forgotten made its return in 2026. Olive Garden's Creamy Mushroom Ravioli — packed with mushrooms and served with a creamy mushroom sauce — has reappeared and is described as a limited-time item. Though some customers have compared the dish to memories of what once was, complaining that the sauce isn't the same, others have been thrilled by the return of the ravioli. 

"Just had it. RUN, don't walk," wrote a pleased fan on Reddit. "That sauce is out of this world!" added another on Instagram. Not every diner shared this excitement, however, as some were disappointed by the taste of the sauce, noting that it was nothing like the recipe of days gone by. To determine which side of the camp you sit on, Olive Garden's Creamy Mushroom Ravioli is available on menus at the time of writing, paired with your choice of soup or salad and two breadsticks for around $18.

If your hunger levels tend to get the best of you, Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Bowl can help. Though the promotional offer isn't new, limited-time editions like Spicy Alfredo Sauce and Crispy Shrimp Fritta keep options fresh. Those worried about losing interest won't easily do so, as the variety of pastas, sauces, and three protein toppings keep guests satisfied. Those who struggle with choosing can use the Olive Garden website's "picker" that makes choices at random.

Starting around $15, some of the Never-Ending Pasta Bowls can be a hit or a miss, but with the right ingredients, this can be a meal that is difficult to walk away from. One sampler insisted the ideal combination is fettuccine noodles served with creamy mushroom sauce and topped with crispy chicken fritta, which consists of Parmesan-breaded chicken breast. Meatballs served with the limited-time spicy three-meat sauce and rigatoni can offer an equally compelling plate. 

Of course, the benefit of the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl special is that you don't have to choose just one. Those looking to set personal records by tracking the amount of pasta they eat at the restaurant can make strategic plans before ordering, like choosing lighter starter options such as classic spaghetti and not filling up with breadsticks while sampling several plates.

Another new 2026 dish that remains on Olive Garden's menu at the time of writing is the Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini, where bucatini pasta is tossed with grilled sirloin tips, shrimp, and spicy Calabrian cream sauce along with spinach and tomatoes. Though diners have complained that plates don't resemble advertised pictures, plenty of Olive Garden fans have recommended the dish. As one customer put it on Instagram, the dish was "dialed in," and they aren't alone. 

An Olive Garden employee admitted they ordered the Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini every day as their daily shift meal on Reddit and said, "It's literally the best thing ever conceived ever." Another said it was the "best meal Olive Garden has made in the 7 yrs I've [worked] for the company." Another described it as "absolutely amazing," writing on Reddit that this favorite dish can be customized with extra sauce.

Those who have struggled with spearing the bucatini pasta have swapped the noodles for rigatoni or spaghetti, and other customers have subbed in chicken for the steak, showing that this is a menu item that can be fully customized. If you need further convincing, one fan on Facebook noted that this dish is "way better than Olive Garden has any right to be."