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Gonna be pounding the pavement this weekend? Load up at these carb-crazy spots.

Wednesday Oct 08, 2008.     By Centerstage Chicago Staff

Food Feed

There's no more common Marathon-eve activity than loading up on carbs with a few big bowls of pasta. And since you're going to be working hard on Sunday, you shouldn't have to make it yourself. Here are some of our picks for the best pasta places around.

Just looking for any pasta place near your home or hotel? Check out our huge directory of Italian restaurants.

A Mano
At this River North restaurant's Pastapalooza (running through Saturday, 5-10 p.m.), $26.20 gets you a three-course meal including your choice of a wood-oven pizza or a trio of antipasti and salumi, a handmade pasta and your choice of dessert. Even if you won't be burning off those carbs on Sunday, you can still feel good about yourself; two dollars from each dinner will go to Girls on the Run, a national nonprofit organization that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running and mentoring programs.

Angelina Ristorante Remember that scene in Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" where the canine couple dines on spaghetti and meatballs in the alley outside an Italian restaurant, serenaded by "Bella Noche"? The same feeling of romance surrounds Angelina, the date destination for any well-informed Chicagoan. But, instead of a measly plate of vermicelli, red sauce and ground beef, the entrees excite and reward the appetite, especially those on the new fall menu. Pasta choices include a vegetable lasagna ($15) with roasted tomato, mushrooms, spinach and squash, and the classic pasta pomodoro ($12).

Anna Maria Pasteria
You know a restaurant is fluent in Italian when it offers puttanesca on its regular menu. This popular Lakeview spot takes great care with the classic dish, combining tube pasta, fresh tomatoes, onions, capers and black olives. It all gets thrown together in a light marinara sauce to create a delightfully salty mess ($12.50). If you're not racing, the creamy rotolo aurora is a favorite on the menu.

Bruna's Ristorante
Any of the restaurants in the Heart of Italy area will do you well, but we'll go with Dennis Farina's favorite. With lively patrons, an intimate setting and a friendly wait staff, this place definitely exudes fun. There are many wonderful pasta dishes to choose from here, but the wise won't pass on the spaghetti carbonara, where the spaghetti comes in a cream sauce with Italian bacon. Other popular specials include veal chops, eggplant parmigiana and spinach-cheese ravioli.

Club Lucky
If you're really looking to pack in the pasta, you can't go wrong at this Bucktown spot known for its heaping plates. Though you'll have to gather a large group to take advantage of the family-style option, the regular menu's portions can be larger than you would expect. Enjoy the old-school atmosphere while you scarf down a hearty portion of penne arrabiata or a square of spinach lasagna.

Dine
It's not hard to tell what this West Loop spot wants you to do. So sit down and order up a big plate of Rummo pasta (slow-dried pasta, sweet corn, baby fava beans, arugula and ricotta salata). Through October 14, it'll cost you just $11.04 (regular price is $18).

Rosal's Italian Cucina
No pasta guide would be complete without a Little Italy entrant, and we're going to go with this classic spot, mainly because of its flexibility. Most patrons use the menu of pasta and meat options as a template, and then ask for customized variations for their meal. The kitchen staff is not only used to it, they expect it. So whether you want something extra hearty or light and fresh, you can get a bowl of it here.