Carb Loading: Best Boston Pasta Dishes

7 Boston pasta dishes that will give you a RUN for your money! #sendnoodes

Can you smell it? It’s almost marathon season. Well…maybe you don’t want to smell that, but do ya know what you do want to smell? Garlic. Onions. Tomatoes. Yes friends that is the smell of pasta, a much more enjoyable ragu then the post run sock sweat kind. In honor of Marathon Monday we have made a list of some of our favorite pasta dishes in Boston that you can carb load up on before the big race. Even if you are not running it sure takes endurance to watch all those people run 26.2, HA! Go ahead, magia!

Short Rib Lasagne from MIDA

Photo Credit: Emily Kan

Um, hello perfect combination that melts in my mouth. Layers of lasagne noodles, beef short rib, ricotta, and san marzano tomato sauce will send you straight to the finish line whether you are running there or casually strolling.

Lobster Paccheri from Bar Mezzana

Photo Credit: Bar Mezzana

Lobster, lobster, oh yeah, and more lobster makes this dish the ideal pasta decadence to enjoy before the big race because it’s rich in flavor but not too heavy. A de-shelled one and a quarter pound lobster served with lobster crema, green onion, and tomato make this dish absolutely sing in the harmony that is these amazing ingredients.

Campanelle from Coppa

Photo Credit: Coppa

For a hearty pre-race meal, enjoy some homemade buckwheat pasta, paired with smoked cabbage, pork sausage, leeks, crème fraîche, and parmesan from Coppa. It’s packed with earthy flavor and it’ll give you the power you need to make it all the way to the end of the race!

Squid Ink Pasta Aglio Olio from The Daily Catch

Photo Credit: @passporteater via Instagram

This is one of our favorite pasta dishes in all of Boston so it’s fitting that it would be one of the best pre-race meals there is. Fresh, homemade squid ink linguine is cooked with ground calamari, olive oil, fresh garlic, and anchovy, and served right in the pot sizzling as it lands in front of you. The amount of flavor in this dish is ridiculous and will have you running faster than ever on Marathon Monday so you can get another pan-full.

Pappardelle from Giulia

Photo Credit: @agalleryofcalories via Instagram

Silky smooth ragu packed with flavor from braised wild boar, juniper, black trumpet, and parmesan coat homemade strands of pappardelle pasta. Nothing like a meal that tastes like your Nonna cooked it the night before a big race, even if you are far from home!

Gnocchi con Funghi from Bar Volpe

Photo Credit: Bar Volpe

These soft pillowy ricotta gnocchi were sent from literal heaven…aka the kitchen at Bar Volpe. These scrumptious morsels are coated in mushroom butter and roasted yellowfoot and hedgehog mushrooms. Nothing like carb loading in style.

Garlic Noodles from Bootleg Special

In a post about noodles we couldn’t not mention the Garlic Noodles from our friends at Bootleg Special in the South End. These noodles may not look very exciting upon first glance but once you smell and taste them you will be hooked. Like sell all your prized positions, I NEED NOODLES, hooked. Carb load on these babies and you are sure to have a fantastic race this Marathon Monday!