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Never heard of Toowoomba Pasta? Neither had I until last week – but it looks like the algorithm has hacked my brain, and this creamy bowl of carby goodness has taken over my feed. There are two problems with this: 1) I still have no clue what Australia’s second-largest regional city has to do with it, and 2) it makes my tummy grumble whenever I open my phone.
So, what is Toowoomba Pasta? I’m glad you asked, because I had to find out myself. Toowoomba Pasta was created by Florida-founded, Australian-themed restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse. Likened to a spicy, creamy twist on Alfredo, it’s what your comfort food dreams are made of. Think fettuccine pasta twirled in a rich sauce (supposedly some combination of cream, ketchup, soy sauce and gochugang), loaded with prawns and button mushrooms, and finished with a sprinkle of parmesan and sometimes chilli flakes. Yum!
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Funnily enough, Toowoomba Pasta isn’t actually available on menus in Queensland’s largest inland state – or anywhere in Australia, for that matter. Instead, it’s a menu staple at Outbeak Steakhouses across South Korea, including the foodie capital of Seoul. Yep, Aussies love the East Asian nation for its skincare, soju, karaoke and K-pop bands, while it loves us back… for a random bowl of pasta that has very little to do with us.
Famous for its mega spring flower festival, Toowoomba is actually 150 kilometres from the ocean – so there’s definitely no one catching fresh prawns there. Honestly, they had so many more realistic coastal cities to pick from. But Outback Steakhouse seems to have a habit of naming dishes after Aussie cities and towns, regardless of any real connection. Other menu hits in South Korea include the Alice Springs chicken quesadilla, Kakadu griller beef and Gold Coast coconut shrimp (at least you can actually catch shrimp on the GC).
The Toowoomba Pasta craze has spread to other non-franchise restaurants across South Korea, with convenience stores even stocking ready-made versions (like a cup of two-minute noodles). Back in Australia, the closest you’ll get is Outback Steakhouse’s ‘Red Centre Sauté’ – a fettuccine alfredo with a chilli kick, tossed with mushrooms, parmesan and your choice of beef, prawns or both. Of course, you could always try making your own version at home – just say the words, "Toowoomba Pasta", and a recipe will magically appear on your feed.