Nothing says wintertime more than the warmth radiating from a fireplace. The sound of cracking wood and nearly silent sway of burning flames, and, uh...Olive Garden pasta? Well, the Italian chain seems to think so, at least, and has released an eight-hour-long, yule log-style video of their new Oven Baked Pastas. Happy holidays to us, I guess!
The holiday significance of the yule log is actually quite charming, so I'll give you a quick rundown. According to How Stuff Works, the yule log tradition started many years ago (I'm talking Viking-era) when families would search for the biggest oak tree log that they could burn in a big celebration of life.
Fireplaces aren't as common as they once were, so the yule log tradition persists in the form of the Bûche de Noël cake we all know and love. Yule log videos, though, became a sensation back in the 1960s, when a TV programing director broadcasted a looped video of a burning fire with Christmas music in the background so New Yorkers could enjoy the ambiance of a blazing fireplace. Thus, the yule log video was born, which leads me back to these pastas. Keep up, people!
Olive Garden recently announced the return of two beloved Oven Baked Pastas and two new ones as well. They are all beautiful, cheesy masterpieces and this video shows that off. The new Smoked Mozzarella Shrimp Rigatoni and the Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken sit next to each other on what appears to be a grill, while the soothing sound of burning coals and bubbling cheese can be heard the whole time.
Maybe don't sit and watch the whole eight hours of the video, but a few minutes of it won't hurt. That said, it'll definitely incite a pasta craving, so make sure to get to Olive Garden ASAP to try these Oven Baked Pastas.