Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Why wait all day for Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup? With the help of an Instant Pot, you can save yourself time and money with this copycat recipe.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 8 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1½ pounds chicken breast, cubed
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3 cups half and half
• 1 (16-ounce) package gnocchi
• 2 cups fresh spinach

Directions

1. Place oil, chicken, and celery in the Instant Pot. Sauté until meat is brown.
2. Mix in chicken broth, carrots, and thyme. Close the lid and the pressure release valve.
3. Set to Manual, High Pressure for 4 minutes. Once completed, quick-release pressure.
4. Open the lid and set it to sauté. Add spinach, half and half, and gnocchi. Leave Instant Pot on sauté to heat the soup until it is boiling.
5. Let boil and keep stirring for 3 minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked. Serve.

 

 

Chicken Marsala

A classic staple from one of America’s favorite Italian restaurants that is easy to prepare and so delicious.

Serves 4–6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 small clove garlic, thinly sliced
• Flour for dredging
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ cups Marsala wine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Chicken scaloppini

1. Pound out the chicken with a mallet or rolling pin to about ½ inch thick
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, dredge the chicken in flour. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge only as many as will fit in the skillet. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
3. Cook chicken in batches, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from skillet, and place on an oven-proof platter. Keep warm, in the oven, while the remaining chicken is cooking.

Marsala sauce

4. In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. On medium-high heat, sauté mushrooms and garlic until softened. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the chicken stock and loosen any remaining bits in the pan. On high heat, let reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes. Add Marsala wine and lemon juice and, in the same manner, reduce by half, about 6–8 minutes. Add the mushroom back into the saucepan, and stir in the Dijon mustard. Warm for 1 minute on medium-low heat. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining butter to make the sauce silkier.
6. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve immediately.

 

 

Beef Bolognese

A warm and comforting dish like this copycat braised beef bolognese is easy to fall in love with, especially on a cold day.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ pound ground beef
• 6 ounces Italian sausage, hot or mild according to preference, skinned
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes, crushed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sage, chopped
• ¾ pound dry long pasta such as spaghetti, angel hair, or fettuccini
• Freshly shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish.
• Fresh chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Directions

1. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the meat and cook for 10 minutes while stirring.
3. Add the red wine and simmer to reduce.
4. Add the tomatoes and other remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour.
5. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and serve with a generous amount of sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese. If desired.

 

 

Salmon Piccata

Impress your guests with this easy but fancy Salmon Piccata copycat recipe.

Serves 6 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Salmon

• 1½ pounds salmon fillets
• Lemon pepper marinade
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Piccata sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅔ cup white cooking wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ cup capers, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Trim the salmon fillets to ½ inch thickness, if necessary. Place in a Ziploc bag and pour the lemon pepper marinade inside. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Transfer the salmon to a tray. Season with lemon pepper.
3. Place the butter and olive oil in a frying pan.
4. To make the piccata sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the white wine. Simmer until almost evaporated, then whisk in ¾ of the chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer for another 4 minutes.
6. While the sauce is simmering, place the frying pan on the stovetop over medium heat until the butter and oil sizzle. Cook the salmon until golden brown and completely cooked.
7. Add the cornstarch to the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer until thickened.
8. Add the capers and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Drizzle sauce over salmon. Serve.

 

 

Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno

The best ziti dish to bring to a potluck. It’s an infusion of marinara and alfredo jam-packed with cheese and topped with a crunch.

Serves 8-12 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Ziti

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1½ quarts marinara sauce or Sunday gravy
• 1 quart alfredo sauce
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
• 1½ cups parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Topping

• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons romano cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 or 15×10 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Mix together the marinara sauce (or Sunday gravy), alfredo sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the ziti to the sauce. Combine well. Pour into the baking dish. Spread mozzarella on top.
5. To make the topping, combine the cheeses, breadcrumbs, fresh garlic, olive oil, and parsley in a bowl. Spread on top of the ziti.
6. Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet to catch the drippings. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

 

 

Tiramisu

The Olive Garden pick-me-up cake for when you need that caffeine boost.

Serves 8–10 | Prep. time 30 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks, divided
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups mascarpone cheese
• ½ pound cream cheese
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 20–24 ladyfinger cookies
• ¼ cup cold espresso
• ¼ cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Directions

1. Boil water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, and two egg yolks. Place in the saucepan (or you can use a double broiler). Stir frequently for 10 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Mix until creamy. Add remaining egg yolk. Stir again.
4. In a small bowl, combine the espresso and Kahlua. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the mixture, making sure it does not soak up too much liquid.
5. Place the ladyfingers side by side at the bottom of an 8×8 baking pan. Spoon half of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers. Place more ladyfingers on top. Pour the remaining cheese mixture on top.
6. Using a strainer, dust cocoa powder on top of the last cheese mixture layer. Cover and chill for several hours. Slice and serve.

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Lina Chang’s Copycat Cookbook: Making Olive Garden’s Most Popular Recipes at Home. To get your own copy, click on the cover and click here.

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.