Judgement Time: Olive Garden’s Stuffed Rigatoni
Posted: October 26, 2011 Filed under: Dinner, Italian, Judgement Time, Pasta, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: cheese, dinner, italian, Olive Garden, Pasta, restaurant, review, stuffed rigatoni, tomato 6 Comments »
I love Olive Garden. I don’t care if it’s not “authentic” Italian or if it’s laden with calories; it’s delicious. But I am very unfortunate, my little cookies, because my closest Olive Garden is 45 minutes away (no DQ, no Cheesecake Factory, no Wegman’s…how does anyone live here???). Luckily, when I make my monthly trek to the Wegman’s in Syracuse, I also make it a point to have a nice lunch with my mother. Where did we graze after we ventured to Weggie’s last weekend?
Olive Garden, of course!
You see, I just had to get to the Garden to try their new Cheese-Stuffed Rigatoni. They have 2 varieties: rigatoni with grilled chicken and a roasted garlic alfredo sauce or with sausage and a tomato-alfredo, plus an extra layer of melted cheese. I opted for the second, minus the sausage of course.
I was a little upset because, when I first got my pasta, it came like this:
That’s right, my little cookies. They forgot the extra cheese (don’t be fooled by the Parmesan. That’s the standard fare they offer to grate on top of every dish). How the waitress did not notice this, I’m not sure. But, me being my cheese-loving self, I asked for the added cheesy goodness I deserved. The waitress appeared unaware that they had forgotten it, apologizing sincerely and whisking it back to the kitchen to receive its mozzarella blanket.
When my pasta returned, it was looking much better:
Now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. With the proper cheese atop my pasta, I boldly plunged my fork into the sea of sauce, striking straight through an unlucky rigatoni, and popped it into my mouth.
What did my taste buds find?
Deliciousness!
The rigatoni was nice & al dente, with a perfect amount of cheese filling, not too much or too little. The tomato alfredo was delightful, a perfect combo of the creamy, cheesy classic OG Alfredo and the sweetness of marinara sauce. It was smooth, creamy, and plentiful. Thank goodness; there’s nothing worse than a sauce shortage!
That little bit of cheese on top made all the difference. It was an extra touch of indulgence, producing additional gooey goodness with each forkful. I very much enjoyed this pasta. It’s a great addition to the OG menu!
So, how does the Stuffed Rigatoni stack up on the Smart Cookie Scale?
Presentation:
4 stars out of 5
Taste:
5 stars out of 5
Overall:
4.5 stars out of 5
Have you tried Olive Garden’s new Stuffed Rigatoni? What did you think?
The Smart Cookie Scale is based solely on my own opinions. It is an averaged score, including each category in the review.
[...] Judgement Time: Olive Garden’s Stuffed Rigatoni (thesmartcookiecook.com) [...]
Wegman’s you say?? I had NO idea the Smart Cookie Cook was a NYer
I just moved back to the Finger Lakes area and having all these things at my disposal makes me elated. I think we may go to the same OG! Because mine is in Syracuse and a drive for me too! I keep seeing those stuffed Rigatoni commercials and drool everytime. Glad to know they are worth the wait 
Yes, I’m a NYer! Not native though, I was born in NJ & I’ve also lived in PA. Wow, what a coincidence that we go to the same OG! That’s so funny. You should definitely try the rigatoni if you get the chance!
I haven’t been there in so long, this looks really yummy!
I have not tried it, but it looks quite amazing … especially right now. Cheese, pasta and marinara? The perfect trio. I feel as if I should make a trip to our and get some tonight … it’s only 30 minutes from my house. Totally worth it, right??
Hey, I drive 45 minute which i think is totally worth it. I’d happily take a 30 minute drive! You should definitely try this. It’s so yummy. Let me know if you do!