We have a message for pasta fanatics crisscrossing town in search of the finest starchy strands: Beeline to Bucktown.

That's where Theo Gilbert has set up his new camp, Ripasso. Gilbert's fresh pasta gained a following at Terragusto, the Lakeview restaurant he shuttered in August. A Lincoln Park spin-off was short-lived, but judging from a recent visit to Ripasso, his new Bucktown venture has legs.

Start a meal with polpetti, pork meatballs lightly bound with Parmesan and breadcrumbs and braised in tomato sauce ($8). The lightest touch of a spoon cuts through the superbly soft orb.

Shaved winter salad and a roasted vegetable plate offer incentives to dally in the appetizer section, but ample room should be saved for pasta. Squid ink colors thick folds tangled with shrimp and cauliflower ($13) and dressed in a light white wine-garlic sauce.

Pappardelle with a creamy Bolognese of lamb, beef, pork and veal ($15) is a Gilbert classic. Here it's touched with white truffle oil; it's a rich dish best shared among two or three.

Gilbert's future plans include baking more varieties of bread in-house and serving lunch. During the day, though, the restaurant's communal tables are covered with flour and turned into pasta and bread workspaces. So lunch will be strictly delivery or takeout.

Ripasso, 1619 N. Damen Ave.; 773-342-8799