The Pastaria & Market: Cooking with Love

Made fresh daily, the pasta at Pastaria & Market is the stuff of legend.

Overview: is a wonderful little Italian restaurant owned by Paul and Donna Novi. They say that Italians are pure traditionalist, believing that food should be cooked in a particular way, a straight forward way where eating is a simple celebration of foods with few ingredients. There is no need for innovation, only cooking with love. Chef Paul Novi has embraced the essence of the trattoria with a menu of sumptuous pasta favorites. He lovingly makes sheets of pasta daily which is cut and prepared to order. He does not understand why other restaurants don’t do the same, but that is what makes the Pastaria and Market so very special. Everything here is house-made fresh. It is like having your very own Italian grandmother cranking out good things to eat.

Décor: It is a small but comfortable dining room with functional furnishings pleasantly assembled.The ceiling and upper portions of the walls are painted cornflower blue and remind one of the Almalfi Coast as it is the color that appears often on the textiles but also is suggestive of the ever present blue skies that one finds there. The music playing in the background is from the Rat Pack Era and the restaurant has the look and feel of a mom-and-pop neighborhood joint that one would find on a corner in Brooklyn. The only thing keeping the restaurant from having that old wise guy vibe, murky and menacing, is that the service is too cheerful and California is too bright and sunny even on a rainy day.

Drinks: One can enjoy wine and beer. The wine list is focused on Californian and Italian wines. It is available by the glass ($7.00 to $9.00) and bottle. The wine ranges from Mill Creek, Gewurztraminer 2008 ($22.00) and a Bacio Divino, Janzen Cloudy’s Cabernet Sauvignon at ($120.00) a bottle. Of course, there are fountain sodas ($1.95), but you will also find some nine options like Limonata ($2.95),Aranciata ($2.95), Pellegrino ($3.95) sparkling and flat, and Italian sodas ($2.50) in a wide assortment of flavors. One can even get a Snapple ($2.50). Many Italian’s finish their meal with an espresso and the Pastaria and Market has a full Coffee Bar ($2.50 to $4.50) to make your experience complete.

Appetizers: The starters include Soup of the Day ($3.95 and $4.95), Antipasto ($7.95 and $9.95) composed of marinated vegetables, salami and cheese. The Baked Brie and Roasted Garlic ($7.95) is just plain yummy. Caprese ($8.95) is a seasonal item so you will have to ask yur server if it is available. You will also find Steamed Artichokes ($5.95) and Warm Artichoke Dip served with fresh baked Ciabatta bread ($7.95) on the menu.

Entrees: The Pastieria and Market has an exhaustive list of string, stuffed, rolled and layered pasta. For stringed pasta you will find items like Pasta Puttanesca ($10.95) a spicy and zesty sauce of tomatos, anchovies, capers, kalamata olives, parlic and eggplant tossed with angel hair pasta; Tagliatelle with grilled chicken breast and mushrooms in a black truffle cream sauce ($19.95); and Walnut Pesto Linguine ($10.95) a blend of basil garlic walnuts olive oil and Parmesan tossed with linguine, add chicken ($14.95). The Filled Pasta will please you with Tri-Colored Tortellini alla Vodka Sauce and Peas ($14.95); Butternut Squash Agnolotti ($11.95) which are oval raviolis filled with butternut squash, served with creamy tomato sauce, add Italian sausage ($14.95); and Meat Ravioli ($11.95). Baked treats include wonderful items like Crab Canelloni ($17.95) which is delicious. It is filled with crab, three cheeses, spinach, covered in half tomato and half white sauce. There is Chicken Parmigiana ($16.95) chicken breast filet lightly breaded and topped with mozzarella, served buttered fettuccine noodles; and Baked Manicotti ($14.95) filled with three cheeses, spinach baked in Marinara. You will also find gnocchi (potato dumplings) on the menu. Try the Gnocchi with Gorgonzola-Walnut Cream Sauce ($13.95). The menu offers other combinations of pasta and the chef is open to making change that suits your tastes. There are also daily specials, on the night that I went they had some lovely seafood linguine dish available, so make sure that you have a nice long chat with your server.

Sides: There are sides that are meant to add to the pasta meal like Meatballs ($6.95) and Grilled Italian Sausage ($5.95), and there are sides that are meant to accompany with meal like Garlic Bread ($5.95 and $7.95), Spinach wilted in olive oil and garlic ($3.95),and Roasted Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes ($1.95). There are some very nice salads to have before, with or as your meal such as House Salad ($3.95) with cheese ($4.95), Caesar Salad ($4.95) with cheese ($7.95), Chicken Caesar ($12.95), Baby Greens ($6.95 and $8.95), The Gondola ($7.95) a wedge of Iceburg lettuce, tomato, and crispy pancetta topped with creamy gorgonzola dressing, and Tri-Tip Salad ($11.95).

Dessert: The sweets in Italy are not elaborate, in fact it is the ice cream that they adore, which is why there is such a wide selection of Gelatos and Sorbettos ($4.95). Other Dolci on the menu are Tiramisu ($5.95), Profiterole ($5.95), and Brownie Sundae ($5.95).

Service: The Pastaria and Market offers capable and friendly service.

Signature Dish: Chef Novi is very proud of everything on the menu as everything is made fresh daily, but he tells me that the Pink Vodka Mostaccioli which is made up of a creamy tomato sauce with a hint of vodka, tossed with Mostaccioli (Penne pasta) and sprinkled with sun dried tomatoes pine nuts and feta cheese is a favorite of the house.

• 49 East Main Street, Los Gatos Ca
• Chef: Paul Novi
• Cost: $15 to $40