Il Fiasco makes dining out easy with an inexpensive answer for indecisive frugal eaters. Sunday through Thursday the Sixth Avenue Italian restaurant owned by Mark Gaimster has an unbeatable $10 dinner special: three pastas, three sauces, one slick price.

Mangnifique!

Bread and small mixed greens salad with light herbed olive oil dressing and freshly grated Parmesan cheese precedes dinner.

Cue the pasta parade.

Expect a red, a white and sauce du jour. Chunky marinara had visible herbs and tangy sweetness ala sun-ripened tomatoes. Alfredo sauce was creamy, rich and buttery. Mushroom gorgonzola cream sauce du jour is a favorite. Penne, spaghetti, capellini — all were cooked beautifully al dente.

Ordering the less expensive menu option doesn’t equal invisibility here; fresh ground pepper is offered by attentive servers along with a speedy return for satisfaction inquiry after every plate.

Il Fiasco offers a better take on Olive Garden’s endless pasta bowl.

Once again quality wins over quantity.

[Il Fiasco Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma 253.272.6688]

LINK: We named Il Fiasco "Most Romantic Restaurant in our Best of Tacoma 2009 issue