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Olive Garden Style Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta

This Olive Garden Style Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta is rich, garlicky, and irresistibly creamy. Made with fresh garlic, vegetarian Parmesan, and Romano cheese, it's an easy restaurant-inspired dinner that's ready in just 30 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 645
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz 340 g fettuccine pasta
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup freshly grated vegetarian Romano cheese
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water as needed
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • Extra vegetarian Parmesan for serving
Optional
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup sautéed mushrooms
  • Red pepper flakes

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently for 3–4 minutes.
  4. Reduce the heat to low. Gradually stir in the vegetarian Parmesan and vegetarian Romano cheese until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
  5. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a little reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
  6. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until every strand is coated in the creamy garlic parmesan sauce.
  7. If using spinach or mushrooms, stir them in and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
  8. Garnish with chopped parsley, extra vegetarian Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Freshly grated cheese melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.
  • Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, avoid boiling.
  • Reserve pasta water before draining the pasta for the silkiest sauce.
  • For a completely vegetarian recipe, choose Parmesan and Romano cheeses made with microbial rennet.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.