The Farm Behind The Tomatoes In Olive Garden's Marinara Sauce

The pasta sauces at Olive Garden aren't "tomato, tomahto" compared to those from other chain restaurants. A highlight of its classic entrees like chicken Parmigiana (one of its most popular menu items on our ranked list), spaghetti with marinara, and cheese ravioli, Olive Garden's marinara sauce is unique, flavorful, and one core reason why Olive Garden has delighted customers for countless years. But it takes a village, or really, a farm, to make its marinara so special — OPC Farms, Inc. to be exact.

Established in 1977, OPC Farms is headquartered in San Joaquin, California, and has several additional locations around the Fresno area. The family-owned farm raises a variety of crops, including grapes, cherries, garlic, and onions, but it's most prized for its tomatoes. By growing plentiful tomato varieties, the farm ensures what's transported to Olive Garden's kitchens is up to par with the chain's standards; after measuring the tomatoes' brix (sugar content), viscosity, disease level, and more, Olive Garden receives the (literal) cream of the crop.

Thanks to 21st century technology, OPC Farms, Inc. is able to pick only ripe fruit to the tune of 100 tons of tomatoes from acres of crops in just one hour. Tomatoes are then rinsed thoroughly three times, inspected again for color and blemishes, and then steamed to remove the majority of their peels. Once these steps are completed, off to the lab they go.

Of course, the road to Olive Garden for these tomatoes begins at OPC Farms, Inc., but then Neil Jones Food Company takes the reins. It's Olive Garden's main tomato supplier, and one of its labs is located right down the road from the farm. Founded in 1915 as San Benito Foods, Neil Jones Food Company now consists of six food-supplying companies located in California and the Pacific Northwest. Its lab tests additional parameters: the tomatoes' pH levels, color, consistency, and more. When, and only when, a tomato checks off all of these boxes, it is then cooked down, seasoned, and prepared for a sauce.

Olive Garden has three tomato-based sauces: marinara, five-cheese marinara, and meat. Each of these sauces are first prepared in the lab with a marinara battuto, or concentrated flavor packet, and later finalized in specific Olive Garden kitchens to maintain consistency across every location. These packets include peppers, garlic, onions, basil, rosemary, and an abundance of spices, which lend flair and flavor to Olive Garden's delicious pasta dishes. The restaurant's sauces emphasize its Italian-American roots, and bring comfort and authenticity to each diner's plate. Though the restaurant may not use its "When you're here, you're family" slogan anymore, it certainly doesn't fail to make each customer feel at home with its sauces (not to mention its dreamy signature breadsticks).