Olive Garden's $100 Pasta Pass v. Never Ending Pasta Bowl

— -- If anything can be learned from Olive Garden's decision to bring back its "Pasta Pass" from last year, it's that people can eat a lot of pasta. And at $100, pasta lovers can recoup their money with only 10 visits or so to the restaurants, but possibly not their dignity, as David Letterman has quipped about the promotion.

The "Never Ending Pasta Pass," introduced last year, sold out this week in seconds, the company said. Yesterday, it sold on its website 1,000 of the $100 Pasta Passes plus an additional 1,000 passes that cost $300 and allow cardholders to bring up to three guests. They are valid from Oct. 5 through Nov. 22.

Last year, the passes sold out in 45 minutes, generating bowls of publicity for the restaurant, which is owned by Darden Restaurants Inc. Cardholders used their Pasta Passes an average of more than twice a week last year, the Associated Press reported.

This year, the program is promoting the 20th anniversary of Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Bowl, which allows customers to choose from a variety of pasta combinations at $9.99. Customers who missed out on the Pasta Pass, can still get all the pasta and sauce they want when they order one of these $9.99 dishes, though toppings, including meatballs and sausage, start at an extra $2.99.

The passes, which are not transferable, come with unlimited soft drinks and toppings, and like other Olive Garden meals, soup or salad and breadsticks.

The company said that people who still want a Pasta Pass, can follow the company on their social media channels where they will be giving them away.