Every Olive Garden Entree That Isn't Pasta, Ranked

When you decide to take a trip to Olive Garden, pasta is probably the first thing on your mind. After all, the menu is overwhelmingly pasta-focused, ranging from noodles soaked in rich, creamy sauces to penne spiked with spicy, tomato-based ones. But the chain isn't just good for pasta — it boasts a relatively small number of non-pasta entrees, too. You may assume that these options aren't as good as the more carb-filled ones on the list, but that's far from the truth. In fact, some of the best items on the Olive Garden menu happen to be either pasta-less or feature pasta as a side and not as the main part of the dish.

That's why I went to Olive Garden and taste-tested all seven of the chain's non-pasta entrees. Although I've ranked them from worst to best here, they're honestly all worth checking out if you find yourself at an Olive Garden and just aren't craving any pasta. I based these rankings on flavor and texture (in regards to protein-based dishes), also taking value into account. Who knows? After checking out some of the entrees on this list, you may just skip the pasta the next time you visit Olive Garden.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I love it when chain restaurants offer vegetarian options. If you're trying to avoid meat in your diet (or just in this specific meal), then Olive Garden's eggplant Parmigiana is a great option. It comes with breaded and fried eggplant that's topped with a generous amount of melted mozzarella and just a touch of tomato sauce. Although you'll find spaghetti on the side of this dish, the eggplant is really the star of the show here.

Although I did enjoy the eggplant Parmigiana at Olive Garden, it wasn't quite as delicious as the other menu items I tried. The main issue? A lack of acidity. Eggplant isn't particularly acidic on its own, but once you cover it in breadcrumbs and cheese, it can become a bit bland. Asking for a slice of lemon to juice over the top of the fried eggplant could break up all that heavy fattiness, but the dish as it comes could be more balanced. It's definitely not the most delicious eggplant Parmigiana I've ever had, but it may not be a bad option if you don't want a meat-based dish and aren't craving straight pasta.

Craving Parmigiana, but aren't feeling the eggplant? No worries. As long as you eat meat, you can order the chicken Parmigiana instead. It's essentially the same dish as the eggplant Parmigiana but with chicken breast instead of eggplant. I was worried that the chicken would be dry, as is wont to happen with chicken breast, but that was not the case at all. These chicken breasts were actually extremely juicy, and they were made even more delicious by the addition of cheese and sauce on top. This entree, too, comes with a serving of spaghetti on the side.

Even though this dish is more delicious than the eggplant version, it was still missing that bright acidity that would really balance the other flavors out. That juiciness counteracts some of the dryness from the other ingredients, but it doesn't produce that pop of flavor I'm looking for in an especially flavorful dish. It's certainly not a bad entree, but with so many other, more delicious options on the menu, it's probably not something I'd order again.

If you're looking for something on the lighter, fresher side when you go to Olive Garden, look no further than the grilled chicken Margherita entree. It comes with grilled chicken breast topped with mozzarella, basil pesto, and fresh tomatoes to give it some extra freshness. This is all served with a side of Parmesan garlic broccoli for a simple side dish. Admittedly, the flavors in this dish are kind of basic, but they work together well. The juicy chicken gets a dose of rich fattiness from the cheese and a lovely herbal quality from the pesto, while the tomatoes on top offer both a burst of color and slight acidity. It may not be the most delicious chicken you've ever had, but it's good if you're craving something that's not too complicated.

The serving of Parmesan garlic broccoli on the side is also a bit boring, though — the chain probably could've offered something a little more unique and dynamic. But ultimately, it's a decent combo that's ideal for those times when you want to avoid pasta completely.

Salmon can be delicious — or it can be done really, really poorly. Luckily, Olive Garden's herb-grilled salmon dish falls into the former category. At the Olive Garden I went to, at least, the salmon was cooked impeccably, with a crunchy crust and moist interior that decidedly had not been overcooked (which is the case with so many other chain restaurant salmon dishes). The garlic herb butter gives the salmon a richness and pop of flavor that lemon-topped salmon just can't compete with. In fact, this salmon was one of my favorite things I tried at Olive Garden during this trip.

The downside of this dish, though, is that all you get on the side is some of that same Parmesan garlic broccoli. It's certainly not a bad side dish, but it's just not that exciting — and don't you want something more interesting when you're paying a premium to go out to eat? After all, you can make your own delicious broccoli at home. Still, though, when you want a healthier-tasting meal, this salmon entree is worth checking out the next time you visit Olive Garden.

If you're the kind of person who's always ordering off the appetizer menu, then this one is for you: It's Olive Garden's never-ending soup, salad, and breadsticks meal, and it's one you absolutely have to try if your main reason for going to Olive Garden is munching on the delicious breadsticks. You'll get the chain's signature breadsticks, of course, along with the garden-fresh salad topped with Italian dressing (and preferably lots of Parmesan cheese).

But the soups are where you'll get some variety in this entree. The chain offers four different soups for this deal, including a creamy chicken and gnocchi, hearty pasta e fagioli, vegetarian minestrone, and delicious zuppa Toscana. The meaty, creamy, but still light zuppa Toscana was my favorite, but honestly, all the soups are worth a try. Luckily, you can try them all in one sitting since you can opt for a different soup every time you get a refill. Plus, you're not going to find many chain restaurant deals better than this one, which is why this entree comes in the top half of this ranking.

Who knew a steak at an Italian restaurant could be so good? Steak probably isn't the first dish you'd think to order from Olive Garden, but believe me when I say it's one of the chain's standouts. Of course, the individual cook preparing your steak matters a lot, but the 6-ounce sirloin I tried from Olive Garden was cooked to medium-rare perfection — just how I like it. Not only is the steak itself delicious, but it's also topped with a garlic herb butter that really takes it to a new level.

So, why didn't it earn the top spot on this list? Well, first of all, a steak is a pretty basic dish, so Olive Garden isn't exactly getting points for creativity here. But second of all, it comes with a side of fettuccine Alfredo, which kind of seems like a random choice here. A lighter, fresher dish might make for a better side, unless you're looking for something super creamy and decadent to pair with your steak. Overall, though, for an Italian restaurant steak, this 6-ounce sirloin really blows it out of the water.

Finally, we've come to the best of the best: Olive Garden's stuffed chicken Marsala. This is seriously an impressive dish — so impressive, in fact, that you may be surprised you're eating it at an Italian chain and not a higher-end restaurant. Grilled chicken breast is stuffed with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, which add a creaminess and umami flavor, respectively, to the dish. The creamy Marsala mushroom sauce, though, is the standout. There's a richness and complexity here that transforms a basic chicken breast into a meal that feels really special.

Plus, unlike some of the other menu items on this list, the side makes perfect sense. You'll get mashed potatoes smothered with mushrooms and a generous serving of that same Marsala sauce. It feels like a coherent meal — not just random dishes slapped together on the same plate. Order this entree, and you may just never order pasta from Olive Garden again.

I tried all of these dishes at the same time at a local Olive Garden in my area. The main criteria for this list was flavor, but I also took texture, doneness, and balance into consideration when compiling this ranking. I aimed to taste the lighter, fresher dishes first so my palate didn't get overwhelmed by the heavier, richer entrees.