Pasta Prego: Fast-Casual Pasta With a Cult Following
Step into Pasta Prego, a vibrant fast-casual eatery dishing up hearty pastas and Italian-inspired sides at wallet-friendly prices. Founded by lifelong friends Lorenzo Fantarella and Isaac Varano, this popular takeaway spot has built a cult following thanks to its Fishbowl-style, build-your-own pasta bowls—and the long queues out the door prove it.
Build-Your-Own Bowls, Italian Style
The menu invites you to craft your perfect pasta dish from the ground up. Start by selecting your preferred sauce and pasta shape, then customise it with a choice of 26 add-ons like anchovies, prawns, kalamata olives, and chilli flakes.
Sauces That Hit the Spot
Sauce options span beloved Italian classics—think Napoletana, creamy carbonara, rich bolognese, punchy pesto, and a rosé (vodka-free) sauce. These form the foundation for heartier creations such as beef ragu, meatball, and chicken Alfredo. One crowd favourite is the Italian pork and fennel sausage in rosé sauce, made using Varano’s cherished family recipe. Vegos can opt for the Capri, packed with chargrilled eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms, garlic and onions in rosé, while seafood fans will love the garlicky prawn or bold puttanesca.
Pasta Shapes for Every Preference
Next, choose your pasta base. Go for familiar favourites like penne (also available gluten-free), spaghetti and fettuccine, or switch it up with pillowy gnocchi, spinach and ricotta ravioli, or beef-stuffed tortellini. While the pasta isn’t made in-house, it’s locally sourced for quality.
Don’t Forget the Sides
Don’t skip the sides—especially the hand-rolled beef and pork meatballs or the cheesy sourdough Vienna garlic bread.
Bright, Bold and Breezy
You’ll spot the place easily thanks to its bold green facade. Inside, the space is bright and inviting, with terrazzo tiles imported from Italy, crisp white finishes, vintage posters, and four bar stools overlooking the street. Outside, a covered verandah offers seating for a dozen more guests. Pasta Prego is a fresh, flavour-packed twist on your neighbourhood pasta bar.
