I'm a Mom of Two, and Olive Garden's Returning $100 Pasta Pass is My Ultimate Dinner Hack
I just bought 12 grocery staples at my local grocery store and thought I hallucinated when I saw that I owed $107.54. Even McDonald's is costing me almost $30 these days with Happy Meals costing me $6.50 per meal.
So when Olive Garden announced today that they're bringing back their $100 Never Ending Pasta Pass, you can bet that I will be trying my luck to get one when the promo starts on Thursday, July 16 at 2 p.m. ET.
The Never Ending Pasta Pass first started in 2014 and ran annually until 2019. I'll admit I didn't consider getting one before, but now as a mom of two dealing with rising grocery costs, the Olive Garden Never Ending Pasta Pass will be my hack to saving money before the holidays start. Here's why.
What Is the Olive Garden Pasta Pass and How Much Does It Cost?
The Pasta Pass is a VIP card that gives you unlimited access to the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl menu for 13 straight weeks.
- The Cost: $100 (plus tax).
- What it Includes: The Pasta Pass includes 13 weeks of unlimited pasta, homemade sauces and protein toppings, accompanied by never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks. Passholders can enjoy early access to Never-Ending Pasta Bowl starting Aug. 24, and the promotion officially begins Aug. 31 to Nov. 22 - perfect for easy back-to-school dinners when I'm too tired to cook after working all day.
- The Catch? Only 10,000 passes are being released nationwide.
My Strategy: How the $100 Pasta Pass Saves My Family Money
Let's break down the actual math, because as a mom, numbers speak louder than breadsticks...especially in this economy.
A standard Never-Ending Pasta Bowl starts at $14.99. If I buy the $100 Pasta Pass, my break-even point is exactly seven visits ($100 ÷ $14.99 = 6.67). That means everything after that 7th visit is practically free money - and that's not even girl math, that's actually a really good deal.
Let me explain, by looking at how I can use it over 13-weeks:
- The Weekly Family Dinner: We try to do one family dinner out a week. Normally, my meal at Olive Garden would cost $14.99. With the pass, my meal is $0. Over 13 weeks, that saves us $194.87 on my entrees alone. Subtract the $100 pass cost, and I am up $94.87 for the promotion time period.
- The Kids' Menu Math: Because my meal is completely covered, I only have to pay for my kids' meals (around $6.99 each, and that includes a free side and kids' drink). That means I can feed myself and two kids at Olive Garden for about $14 plus tip. You can barely get fast food for that price anymore.
The Best Olive Garden Hack to Stretch Your Dining Budget
You can stretch this pass even further if you know how to work the menu. Let me explain:
Right now, Olive Garden is still offering their "$6 Take-Home meals" when you dine in. After eating my "free" pass meal in the restaurant, I can pay just $6 to take home a freshly prepped, chilled entree (my favorite is either the Fettuccine Alfredo or Spaghetti with Meat Sauce). That $6 covers my lunch for the next day.
Related: I Tried Every Olive Garden Soup and Ranked Them Worst To Best
Can You Share the Olive Garden Pasta Pass? (And Other Fine Print)
This is the most important rule for moms to know: No, you cannot share your pass.
The pass is strictly valid for the named cardholder only. You cannot order endless bowls of pasta and pass them across the table to your kids or your spouse. Doing so will get your pass revoked (and as moms, let's be real, we don't have time for that!).
How to Get an Olive Garden Pasta Pass Before They Sell Out
If you want in, you have to treat this like buying Taylor Swift tickets circa 2024 (IYKYK). In 2019, the Olive Garden Pasta Passes sold out in less than 60 seconds.
- When to get it: Thursday, July 16 at 2 p.m. ET.
- Where:PastaPass.com.
- My tip: Don't wait until 2:00 p.m. to load the page - under any circumstance! The digital waiting room traditionally opens a few minutes early (historically around 1:55 p.m.). Have your credit card information saved to your browser's autofill so you aren't frazzled when the countdown hits zero.
Related: 7 ‘Secret Menu' Items at Olive Garden Even Regulars Don't Know About
When Does the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Start?
If you score a pass, your 13 weeks kick in with early access starting August 24. For everyone else without a pass, the standard Never-Ending Pasta Bowl promotion runs from August 31 to November 22.
Next: How to Make the ‘Addictive' Olive Garden Salad at Home So You Can Satisfy Your Craving When It Hits
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 6:01 AM.