In this photo I really tried to capture the tensile strength of rigatoni. Note how the eyes are drawn to the central piece, which holds its shape despite the weight of another rigatoni atop it. Truly an engineering marvel. The top rigatoni, however, is sagging! Perhaps there is also a more metaphorical meaning here - that pain is relative. Not everyone responds to pressure the same way, and there are many kinds of strength.

I find the browning on the grilled chicken really visually appealing, especially when looked at with the striations of the chicken muscle. Olive Garden’s food has always looked a little plastic, a little too manufactured - see the spaghetti and five cheese marinara in this photo for an example. But the grilled chicken is real. I love it.

This is the combination that Olive Garden features prominently on their 2016-edition menu for the Never Ending Pasta Bowl, and also in much of their promotional material. I spent a lot of time taking pictures of what I was served, and I think I did the best I could with what I got. Now all that’s left to do is wait for the talent scouts to come knocking on my door. Psst - it’s vino at all of garden dot com, if you’re wondering.

Consider this a darker, grittier reboot of Grilled Chicken Alfredo. A little bit more nuanced, a little more adult. May not be suitable for all customers. Only served after 10 pm.

Truly the Italian Sausage of sauces, Five Cheese Marinara is really gross-looking but actually tastes pretty good. It’s a sort of guilty pleasure - which, now that I think of it, is a weird distinction to make when you’re already at the Olive Garden. Who am I trying to impress here?

Ever since I figured out how to adjust the f-stop on my camera, my photography has really made the leap from “guy who just bought a nice camera” to “guy who spent 2 minutes skimming the manual for his nice camera”. The depth of field adds, I feel, a sense of action to an otherwise plain bowl of pasta.

I have disliked the combination of meatballs and alfredo since I first tried it 3 years ago. It has not improved in that time, though not having it on a bed of angelhair does help considerably.

Consistently voted “Best Dressed” amongst the Pasta Bowl Sauces - it’s hard to beat the chic accessories of whole cloves of roasted garlic and freshly-grated cheese. Make it last forever - friendship never ends (for a limited time only, starting at $9.99)!

A little classier, a little more decadent than the tomato-based sauces, Posh Sauce is a classic choice that’s here to stay. Luxurious dishes like this remind us that, on occasion, you gotta slow it down baby, gotta have some fun.

Aggressive, intimidating, and chock-full of protein, Scary Sauce is the original bad girl. Stop right now (thank you very much) and order a bowl today!

A spicy redhead, Ginger Sauce is a real heartbreaker! It’s distinct aroma will come back to you time and again, even years later, like a punch in the stomach as you just try to write your stupid pasta blog. Don’t go wasting my precious time - just order this pasta, and you’ll be just fine!

Whether you’re a goddamn child or just have the palate of one, Baby Sauce is a meal that will bring to mind the off-brand Velveeta your mom would microwave over dry elbow macaroni when times were tight. Spice up your life and try it!