I'm probably gonna get slammed for this, but that's okay... differing opinions and experiences are a good thing.
For a long ride, even if it's high intensity, pasta just doesn't cut it for me. I've got to have protein and some fat is okay, too. Food that sticks to the ribs. (But, no heavy cuts of beef or anything quite like that, they're too much work to digest.) And we're not talking bird-sized portions, either. Even mexican. Either at lunch or an early dinner, preferably not much after 6:00 PM. No riding the day before, unless it's rediculously slow and easy. The morning before, my regular breakfast, 2 eggs scrambled and grits a few hours before. Powerbar or whatever 1 hour before. Gel 15 minutes before.