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Olive Garden Gluten Free Menu Guide 2023

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In this Olive Garden gluten free menu guide, I’ll highlight all the gluten free menu items, sides, and other gluten-sensitive options available at Olive Garden. I will also address any common questions asked when ordering gluten free at Olive Garden. 

photo of olive garden with text that says what is gluten free at olive garden

Quick Summary: Olive Garden doesn’t have a gluten-free menu but it has a gluten-sensitive menu. This means that the items on the gluten-sensitive menu are not made with gluten but they could have trace amounts of gluten due to cross contamination. Therefore, people with Celiac disease and those who are sensitive to trace amounts of gluten cannot eat at Olive Garden. If you have a gluten sensitivity you can eat the grilled chicken parmesana, sirloin steak, rotini with meat sauce or marinara, garden salad without croutons, herb grilled salmon or grilled chicken.

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Does Olive Garden Have A Gluten Free Menu?

Olive Garden doesn’t have a gluten-free menu but it does have a gluten-sensitive menu. This means that the items on the menu aren’t made with gluten but likely have small amounts of gluten in the food.

Whats The Difference Between A Gluten-Free and Gluten-Sensitive Menu?

A gluten-free menu is made up of items that are 100% free from gluten and are therefore safe for people with celiac disease to eat. A gluten-sensitive menu contains items that have less gluten but are not 100% free from gluten. So people with a mild gluten sensitivity can eat from these menus but they aren’t safe for people with gluten allergies. Or for those who are sensitive to trace amounts of gluten.

Is Olive Garden Safe for People with Celiac Disease?

No, Olive Garden is not safe for people with Celiac disease. Unfortunately cross contamination is unavoidable at Olive Garden because all of the food is produced at a facility that processes gluten. Along with the fact that the food is made in a facility that processes wheat, the kitchens are where cross contamination is most likely to occur.

Since Olive Garden does not have separate deep fryers, gluten free items are fried with food that is made with wheat. Even Olive Garden says that their menu is not gluten-free but it’s gluten limited.

You can eat at Olive Garden if you can tolerate gluten in your diet. If you have a gluten sensitivity or suffer from IBS then you can eat off of the gf menu.

If I am Sensitive to Trace Amounts of Gluten Can I Eat At Olive Garden?

However, if you are sensitive to trace amounts of gluten because of an auto immune disease, celiac disease, gluten allergy or any other reason. I highly recommend that you do not eat at Olive Garden.

What Are The Gluten-Sensitive Menu Items At Olive Garden?

Appetizers

  • Zuppa Toscana
  • Famous House Salad without Croutons

Entrees

  • Grilled Chicken Parmigiana
  • Herb-Grilled Salmon
  • 6 oz Sirloin Steak
  • Rotini Pasta with Marinara – full and kid size available
  • Rotini Pasta with Meat Sauce – full and kid size available
  • Grilled Chicken with Rotini and Marinara

Does Olive Garden Have Separate Friers For Gluten Free Items?

No Olive Garden doesn’t have separate friers for gluten-sensitive menu items. Which is probably why there are no fried items on the gluten-sensitive Olive Garden menu. The gluten-sensitive options at Olive Garden are limited to pasta, salad and protein.

Does Olive Garden Cook Gluten Free Pasta Separate from Regular Pasta?

According to the website Olive Garden uses a separate sanitized “kettle” to cook the gluten free pasta. Then the pasta is held separately until someone orders it. Then the pasta will be added to the saute pan to help avoid cross contamination. If you were wondering what the gluten free pasta at Olive Garden is made out of the answer is rice flour.

Our gluten-free pasta is cooked and held separately until ordered. At that time it is added directly to the sauté pan to avoid cross contact with other pasta or pasta water.

How Much Risk of Cross Contamination is There At Olive Garden?

According to the Olive Garden’s allergen guide there is a high risk of cross contamination because the kitchen’s at Olive Garden aren’t gluten free. The ingredients are also processed in a facility that also makes food items with gluten as well.

Does Olive Garden Have Gluten Free Bread Sticks?

Unfortunately the bread sticks at Olive Garden are not gluten free because they’re made with all purpose flour which contains wheat.

What Brand is Olive Garden Gluten Free Pasta?

I couldn’t find any information on what brand of gluten free pasta Olive Garden uses. However according to their website they use a rotini made out of brown rice flour.

Is Meat Sauce At Olive Garden Gluten Free?

The meat sauce at Olive Garden isn’t made with gluten. It’s one of the two types of sauces on the gluten-sensitive menu. Marinara and the meat sauce are the only ones. The meat sauce isn’t completely gluten free due to the risk of cross contamination.

Is Olive Garden Dressing Celiac Safe?

The dressing at Olive Garden isn’t celiac safe. Even though the ingredients in the dressing are gluten free, it’s made in a facility that also processes gluten. That’s why its on the gluten-sensitive menu and not labeled gluten free.

Is Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch Gluten-free?

No the garden parmesan ranch at Olive Garden isn’t gluten free. The only type of gluten free dressing at Olive Garden is the Italian dressing. The Italian dressing isn’t made with gluten containing ingredients. But it is made in a facility that also handles gluten. So it’s not guaranteed to be gluten free.

Additional Common Questions and Answers

Can Celiacs Use Olive Oil?

Yes celiacs can use olive oil because it’s gluten free! Isn’t that great news?

To understand why olive oil is gluten free we should look at what olive oil is and the ingredients it’s made from. By definition olive oil is: An oil pressed from ripe olives.

Olives are gluten free since they’re in the fruit family and fruit is naturally free of any gluten. That means if you’re on a gluten free diet you can enjoy olive oil and foods that contain it.

To learn more about gluten free olive oil and how to tell the difference check out this post, “Is Olive Oil Gluten Free.“

What Brand of Spaghetti Is Gluten Free?

There are tons of brands of gluten-free spaghetti! I wrote all about 50 brands of gluten-free spaghetti and ramen noodles in this post here!

Which Brand of Gnocchi is Gluten Free?

There’s nothing better than homemade gluten free gnocchi. But if you’re strapped for time you can buy some brands of gluten free gnocchi for quick meal prep. Here are some of my favorite brands of gluten free gnocchi!

  • Difatti
  • Caesar’s Kitchen
  • DeLallo Gluten-Free Gnocchi
  • La Gnoccheria
  • Conte’s Gluten Free Pasta Potato Gnocchi
  • Alessi Gluten Free Gnocchi
  • Farabella Gluten Free Gnocchi
  • Sanniti Italian Gluten Free Gnocchi

What’s Keto At Olive Garden? (Keto Menu Guide)

In this menu guide, I’ll be highlighting the best keto options you can order at Olive Garden.

How To Order Keto Italian Food

Read my guide on how to order keto Italian food at an Italian restaurant, how to order off the menu, which appetizers and main courses to enjoy and which common ingredients you should avoid.

More Gluten Free Fast Food Articles!

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I created this platform to share life changing cleansing and nutritive theory and to further execute these theories through the practice of food knowledge and recipes. So welcome to Eating Works and thank you for being here with me! Read more...

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