This $2 Aldi Grocery Is a Total Dupe for an Olive Garden Favorite

published Jan 24, 2023
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Aldi excels in a lot of areas. Fast check-out? Yes. Low prices? Of course. Pantry staples I don’t want to cook without? Absolutely. Shoppers can expect to find a few name-brand items, but the shelves are mainly stocked with the grocer’s private-label brands.

Credit: Patty Catalano

Luckily, Aldi has earned a reputation for offering dupes of several name-brand products. That means we can enjoy our favorite flavors at a fraction of the cost. When I came across this Facebook post, I was reminded of one of Aldi’s core condiment copycats — its bottled restaurant-style Italian dressing.

Credit: Patty Catalano

What’s So Great About Tuscan Garden Restaurant-Style Italian Dressing?

The first time I tasted this dressing was during my epic evaluation of Aldi’s salad dressing aisle. Aldi often carries the branded version at a higher price, but in a side-by-side tasting I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. (The Tuscan Garden version mimics the Olive Garden’s flavor and form down to the shape and size of the bottle.) This dressing is a creamy vinaigrette-style dressing that remains emulsified and does not separate, as other Italian dressings do.

What’s the Best Way to Use Tuscan Garden Restaurant-Style Italian Dressing?

Toss the dressing with chopped romaine and iceberg lettuces, a bit of purple cabbage, thinly sliced red onion, grated carrots, black olives, sliced tomato, pepperoncini, and garlicky croutons for your own house salad.

If you really want to complete the Olive Garden experience at home, try making Kitchn’s copycat soups — chicken gnocchi soup, minestrone soup, or zuppa Toscana — and then serve restaurant-style chicken and shrimp carbonara or chicken Marsala as an entrée. Don’t forget that no Olive Garden-inspired meal is complete without the restaurant’s famous breadsticks.

Find it in stores: Tuscan Garden Restaurant-Style Italian Dressing, $1.99 for 16 ounces

Have you tried this salad dressing? What did you think?