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It's lots of work, lasagna. But it's worth it. David Shabani is chef at I Gatti in Los Gatos. When he came here 10 years ago from Europe, he found that some Californians like their Italian dishes prepared differently than in the traditional Italian way. Under the tutelage of a Sicilian cook, he had matured after culinary school in a restaurant kitchen making rich meat sauces alla Bolognese. His lasagna was layered in a thick, full-bodied meat and vegetable sauce enhanced with wine or cream. But he discovered that some epicures in the Golden State are vegetarian—a term rarely used in Europe. So Shabani, now 39, designed lasagna verdure (vegetable) to please them.
"Lots of people here are vegetarian," he notes, "so I made it up."
I Gatti is a small Italian dinner restaurant on E. Main Street. Walls painted in the faux style give the dining area the feel of a Mediterranean village. On a typical day, Shabani starts his lasagna verdure in the early afternoon. Anyone approaching the kitchen from a narrow alley alongside the building might hear the sizzling of the olive oil as an overflowing pan of spinach is sauteed with garlic and onions. The aroma is seductive.
In a 12-inch-by-22-inch roasting pan deep enough to hold seven layers, Shabani starts building. First comes a layer of flat pasta nearly 3 inches wide. It's a no-boil, oven-ready style from Italy called Barilla that he buys from his San Francisco vendor. "You must have a good-quality lasagna," he says. "Otherwise, all of your work is for nothing."
Then come the layers of sauteed spinach, roasted eggplant, caramelized onions and zucchini. Goat cheese is sprinkled in; some marinara sauce is smeared thick and red, with garlic, onions and oregano between the layers of milky white mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Red and yellow onions fresh from baking in a big oven are sprinkled over the cheese. Between the layering, Shabani grabs the ringing phone, taking reservation information and answering questions. "I like to answer," he says. "I don't like the machine." He might also allow himself a quick taste here and there. Spare in build, he eats only one meal a day in the late afternoon. What's his favorite? "That's like asking a parent who is his favorite kid."
The lasagna is finally tucked in with a sheet of aluminum foil pierced with several holes to release the steam during baking. The baking pan is then placed in an outsized tray with water an inch deep. He says, "When the water is gone, it's ready," and that's about 21/2 hours later. "The water keeps the bottom from burning. That's my trick." For individual orders, he places a square of the pasta and sauce in a covered bowl and bakes it for 10 minutes. "I don't like it when it comes from a steam pan on a worktable. Lasagna has to be baked slow or the flavor is lost," he says.
It took 11/2 hours for Shabani to prepare the pasta for the oven—a time-consuming process, but an important one. "I hate to make my job easier by not doing it right. It takes time—and no Mickey Mouse-ing," he smiles. The lasagna sells for $13.50.
Shabani's menu changes about every five months. He and assistant Jose Gutierrez are able to handle up to 65 guests at a sitting. Beyond a dozen choices of pasta, there are braised lamb shank, roasted filet mignon, chicken and baked salmon as house specialties, ranging in price from $13.95 to $23.95. A selection of salads and antipasti are also on the menu. Owned by Al and Mary Mansourian of Almaden, I Gatti is entering its 11th year.
I Gatti, 25 E. Main St. in Los Gatos, is open daily for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. For more information, call 408.399.5180.
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Photograph by George Sakkestad