How Create Your Own Pasta Works

Olive Garden’s Create Your Own Pasta lets you build a completely customized pasta bowl by choosing your pasta shape, sauce, and optional protein. Starting at just $16.49, it’s the cheapest way to get a pasta entree at Olive Garden (even cheaper than Spaghetti with Meat Sauce at $17.49) and gives you total control over your meal.

This option is perfect for picky eaters, anyone with dietary restrictions, or people who just want to mix and match their favorite components. It’s also ideal for anyone who’s tried the standard menu items and wants to experiment with new combinations.

Step 1: Choose Your Pasta Shape

Pick from six options, each with its own sauce-holding characteristics:

• Spaghetti: Classic thin round pasta — best with meat sauce, marinara, or garlic butter
• Fettuccine: Flat, wide ribbons — best with Alfredo and cream sauces (they cling to the flat surface)
• Penne: Tube-shaped — great with chunky sauces that get trapped inside the tubes
• Rigatoni: Larger tubes with ridges — holds the most sauce of any shape
• Angel Hair: Thin and delicate — best with light sauces like scampi or marinara
• Gluten-Free Rotini: Spiral-shaped, made from rice and corn — no extra charge

Step 2: Choose Your Sauce

• Marinara: Classic tomato sauce — light, tangy, lowest calorie option
• Meat Sauce: Seasoned ground beef in tomato sauce — heartier and more filling
• Alfredo: Cream, butter, and Parmesan — the signature rich and creamy option
• Five Cheese Marinara: Marinara blended with five cheeses — tangy and cheesy at once

Step 3: Add Protein (Optional)

• Grilled Chicken: +$5.49 (adds ~250 cal) — the most popular add-on
• Shrimp: +$6.49 (adds ~120 cal) — lighter protein option
• Italian Sausage: +$4.99 (adds ~280 cal) — spicy and flavorful
• Meatballs: +$4.99 (adds ~300 cal) — classic Italian comfort

Pricing Breakdown

• Pasta + sauce only: $16.49 — cheapest dinner entree option
• With chicken: $21.98 — comparable to standalone Chicken Parmigiana ($22.99)
• With shrimp: $22.98 — comparable to Shrimp Scampi ($23.49)
• With meatballs: $21.48 — great value for a hearty meal

All options include unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks when dining in.

Best Combinations to Try

• Fettuccine + Alfredo + Chicken: Essentially a Chicken Alfredo for $21.98 instead of $26.49 — save $4.51!
• Penne + Five Cheese Marinara + Italian Sausage: A spicy, cheesy combination that’s unique to the Create Your Own
• Angel Hair + Marinara + Shrimp: Light and fresh — the lowest calorie combination with protein
• Rigatoni + Meat Sauce + Meatballs: Maximum meatiness and the most filling option
• Gluten-Free Rotini + Alfredo: The best gluten-free option on the menu

Pro Tip: The Budget Hack

The Create Your Own Pasta base ($16.49) with chicken ($21.98) is the same as Chicken Alfredo ($26.49) but $4.51 cheaper. You get the same sauce and protein — just in a “create your own” format instead of a named menu item. Many regulars use this trick to save money on every visit.

Find It Near You

Available at all Olive Garden locations. Find the nearest restaurant using our location finder. For the full menu, check our complete 2026 price guide.