Quintessential Italian Cuisine, Such as Risotto and Braised Beef, Highlights Olive Garden's New Menu

ORLANDO, Fla., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The traditional cuisine of Italy, characterized by its fresh, simple ingredients, regional influences and timeless preparations, has again inspired the chefs at Olive Garden to introduce such dishes as risotto, a first for the company, and braised beef, part of an exciting new menu set to debut on July 3.

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Olive Garden's new dishes include Chianti Braised Short Ribs, Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto, Tuscan Garlic Chicken and Braised Beef & Tortelloni, all inspired by its Culinary Institute of Tuscany. In addition, Olive Garden will debut two new desserts, Chocolate Gelato and a no-sugar-added Torta di Chocolate.

"This new menu represents a monumental effort from our culinary team, whose extensive travels in Italy and idea exchange with master chefs and experts throughout have culminated in our ability to introduce our guests to traditional dishes that are found on menus throughout Italy," said John Caron, executive vice president of marketing for Olive Garden. "These are dishes that Italians have enjoyed for generations and now our guests can too."

Braising, a slow-cooking process that seals in flavor and moisture so the meat becomes extremely tender -- especially popular in the cooler, northern regions of Italy -- is the technique behind Chianti Braised Short Ribs. These boneless beef short ribs are slow cooked in a Chianti wine sauce and accompanied by a savory Portobello mushroom risotto, with a hint of Marsala wine. A bold, rich wine, such as Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico Riserva, matches the wine used in the dish and provides a nice contrast to the savory mushroom and sweet Marsala.

Risotto is a staple dish enjoyed throughout Italy, using the ingredients and wines of the region. Olive Garden takes its inspiration from the coast for Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto, made from carnaroli rice, large sauteed shrimp and fresh asparagus. This piatto principale (main dish) pairs well with a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a blend of both varietals, such as Bertani Due Uve, literally translated as "two grapes."

Olive Garden brings back one of its most popular dishes, from the heart of Tuscany, as a permanent menu addition. Tuscan Garlic Chicken is a blend of herb-seasoned chicken breasts sauteed with oven-roasted garlic, sweet roasted red peppers and spinach. It's served in a white wine and garlic cream sauce and tossed with curly fettuccine, known as eleiche or mafaldina in Italian. A full, buttery Italian Chardonnay, like Bertani Le Lave, works especially well with the texture and flavors of the garlic cream sauce in Tuscan Garlic Chicken.

Olive Garden's Braised Beef & Tortelloni rounds out the new entree offerings with fork-tender, sliced boneless beef short ribs and Portobello mushrooms, tossed with Asiago-filled tortelloni (large, ring-shaped pasta popular in Bologna and Italy's central regions). The dish is finished in a basil-Marsala wine sauce, one of 24 sauces made fresh at Olive Garden every day. Rocca delle Macie Sangiovese is a great accompaniment to this dish.

Throughout Italy, gelaterie and pasticcerie offer gelato in a rainbow of colors and an assortment of flavors. Olive Garden's Chocolate Gelato is a frozen, creamy dessert, more dense than ice cream, topped with caramel sauce and chunks of dark chocolate. Olive Garden also introduces a no-sugar-added Torta di Chocolate. Made only with naturally occurring sugars, the moist double chocolate cake is topped with a warm chocolate genache and garnished with sliced fresh strawberries and a vanilla cream sauce.

Olive Garden's executive chef team also spends several weeks a year traveling throughout Italy and working in the kitchens of some of the country's finest and most eclectic restaurants.

"Our chefs' time in Italy is spent learning, and sampling, the ingredients and cooking preparations that reflect each region's traditions," said Terry Stanley, senior vice president of culinary and beverage for Olive Garden. "We always return to our kitchen with hundreds of ideas for creating delicious, distinct and authentic dishes to introduce to our guests. With this menu, we've zeroed in on four that we know they'll love."

Olive Garden's Culinary Institute of Tuscany, located in a restored 11th- century village in Castellina in Chianti, serves as the main source of inspiration for the new menu items. Olive Garden brings more than 100 managers here every year to train and learn the time-honored traditions of Italian cooking, such as selecting only the freshest ingredients, how to properly layer sauces to build flavor, perfecting al dente pasta, and pairing sauces and pasta to create the most flavorful meals.

Beginning July 10, Olive Garden will offer a series of online cooking demonstrations with vodcast capabilities for three of the new dishes, available to view or download at http://www.olivegarden.com/recipes/ or http://www.itunes.com/ . Olive Garden Senior Executive Chef and Sicily-native Paolo Lafata hosts the step-by-step segments and shares with guests the secrets of fresh, simple and delicious Italian cooking.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 582 restaurants, 70,000 employees and more than $2 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. , the world's largest casual dining company. Visit Olive Garden's Web site at http://www.olivegarden.com/ .

Olive Garden's Chianti Braised Short Ribs At-Home Recipe Serves Six INGREDIENTS 3-4 pounds boneless beef short ribs* 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 2 cups Chianti wine 1 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes 3 cups beef broth 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped DIRECTIONS -- Pat the short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper.

-- Coat a large, nonstick pan with olive oil. Saute the short rib pieces over medium-high heat for about two to three minutes on each side or until brown. When finished, transfer the short ribs to a bowl.

-- Next, add the onions to the pan and cook over medium heat for approximately three minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for one minute, then add the rosemary.

-- Add the Chianti, beef broth and tomatoes to the pan one at a time, allowing the liquid to evaporate partially before each addition (about two minutes).

-- Return the short ribs to the pan, including any juices that might have accumulated in the bowl. Cover and let simmer for three hours on low heat to complete the braising process.

-- Remove the short ribs from the pan and boil the liquid until it's reduced by half.

-- Return the short ribs to the pan and heat thoroughly. -- Serve with potatoes or risotto and vegetables. *Your grocery store butcher can cut into individual ribs and de-bone. Olive Garden's Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto At-Home Recipe Serves Six INGREDIENTS 8 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup white onion, diced 2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 pound fresh asparagus spears, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 18 large shrimp, shelled and deveined 1/2 cup butter 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup chopped tomatoes Fresh parsley, chopped DIRECTIONS

-- In a large pot or saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and leave on low heat until needed.

-- In a separate, large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

-- Add the onions and cook for approximately three minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the rice, stir to coat thoroughly and cook for one minute. Next, add the white wine and stir until completely absorbed.

-- Slowly add 1/2 cup of broth to the risotto and stir until completely absorbed. Repeat this step until 4 cups of broth have been added.

-- Continue to stir the risotto frequently to avoid sticking.

-- While the risotto is cooking, add the asparagus and shrimp to the remaining broth and cook for approximately two minutes or until the shrimp are pink in color.

-- When finished, remove the asparagus and shrimp from the broth and add them to the pot with risotto.

-- Continue to add 1/2 cup of broth at a time until desired creaminess is reached.

-- Once the broth is absorbed, add butter, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes and parsley to complete.

Olive Garden's Tuscan Garlic Chicken At-Home Recipe Serves Six INGREDIENTS 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pound curly or regular fettuccine 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1 red pepper, julienne cut 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 pound whole leaf spinach, stemmed 12 fluid ounces heavy cream 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated DIRECTIONS

-- Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, black pepper and Italian herb seasoning in a shallow dish.

-- Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off any excess. -- In a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet, add 3 tablespoons of olive

oil -- enough to coat -- and saute chicken in batches over medium-high heat for about two to three minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Add additional olive oil for each batch as necessary.

-- When finished, transfer the skillet to a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. Cook for approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

-- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside until needed.

-- While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and the red pepper and cook for approximately one minute.

-- Slowly add remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to combine.

-- Next, add the wine and bring to a boil for about one minute. Add the spinach and the cream and bring to a boil. The sauce is done cooking when the spinach becomes wilted. Complete by stirring in the Parmesan cheese.

-- Partly coat the pasta with the sauce, transfer to a large bowl (or individual dishes) and then top with the chicken, the remaining sauce and extra Parmesan cheese.