My Signature Pasta with Potatoes

Versione Italiana


Pasta with Potatoes is a simple dish of humble origins invented in Naples. The original recipe dates back to the XVII century and owing to its tastiness has become a very much appreciated classic of Neapolitan cuisine. After the New World was discovered many plants were imported to Europe and among these was the potato. The aristocracy and high society were averse to this new aliment; instead the poor social classes, in need of filling food, would cook it with tomatoes and pasta creating a delicious and hearty dish.

Pasta mista has been used from the very beginning – a tradition that has been handed down from one generation to another – but seeing the creaminess of the soup, tubetti or ditalini pasta are excellent choices also.
(Pasta mista is a mixture of leftover pastas of different types and shapes that by themselves are not sufficient for cooking a whole pot of soup.)

In other Regions of Italy it’s customary to boil the pasta separately adding it already cooked to the prepared condiment resulting in a watery soup. On the contrary, in Campania the pasta is cooked directly in the broth. The frequent stirring that mashes the potatoes and the starch released from the pasta tends to thicken the cooking liquid creating a thick velvety dish. To put it briefly, in Naples Pasta with Potatoes is not a “brothy” soup but an almost pasta asciutta, i.e. a “dry” pasta dish.

 

My Signature Pasta with Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 medium yellow potatoes (or 2 large)
1 onion
4 – 5 cherry tomatoes
Celery – about 15 cm of stalk plus leaves
EVO oil
Salt and pepper
200 g tubetti or ditalini pasta
100 g Provola cheese (not Provolone)
30 – 35 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
Extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for plating
A handful of basil leaves, shredded

Peel the onion. Accurately clean the celery under running water, remove the fibrous strings and roughly chop it with the onion. Wash the tomatoes and cut in halves. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. In a saucepan, heat 30 ml of oil, add the celery, onion and tomatoes and stir-fry a few minutes over medium heat. Add the potatoes and continue to stir-fry a few more minutes before adding 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil, cover the saucepan, lower the heat and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring broth to a boil, add the pasta and cook over medium heat stirring frequently. If necessary, add extra water but in small quantities at a time. When the pasta is “al dente”, turn off the heat, add the diced Provola, basil, Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of EVO oil. Mix well, cover and let rest a few minutes before serving. Once plated, sprinkle with extra Parmigiano Reggiano.