Pasta e Patate
A comforting Neapolitan dish of mixed pasta and tender potatoes simmered together into a thick stew, finished with stretchy smoked provola cheese.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 590 kcal
Equipment
- •heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •wooden spoon
- •chef's knife
- •chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 74 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 590 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the diced pancetta.
- 2
Fry the pancetta gently until the fat renders and the edges turn lightly golden and crisp.
- 3
Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot.
- 4
Cook the soffritto (vegetable base) for six minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet, and fragrant.
- 5
Stir in the cherry tomatoes, diced potatoes, and clean cheese rind, coating everything thoroughly in the savoury fat.
- 6
Pour in roughly 800 ml of hot water to just cover the potatoes, then season with a pinch of salt.
- 7
Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for twenty minutes until the potatoes are tender and start breaking down.
- 8
Crush a few potato cubes against the side of the pot using a wooden spoon to create a thick, creamy broth.
- 9
Tip the dry pasta directly into the bubbling potato mixture, stirring continuously so it does not catch.
- 10
Cook until the pasta is tender, adding small splashes of boiling water if the sauce becomes too dry.
- 11
Remove from the heat and vigorously stir in the diced smoked provola and grated Parmigiano Reggiano until melted and stringy.
- 12
Let the dish rest for two minutes, season with cracked black pepper, and ladle into warm bowls.
Chef's tips
Use starchy, floury potatoes rather than waxy ones because their starch breaks down to create the iconic creamy texture known in Naples as 'azzeccata'. If you cannot find boxed pasta mista, break up various leftover dried short pasta shapes like ditali, tubetti, and broken spaghetti.
Ingredient substitutions
- pancetta → guanciale (cured pork jowl) or lard for extra richness, or omit for a vegetarian version
- provola affumicata → scamorza affumicata (firm smoked cheese) or fresh smoked mozzarella, drained well
- pasta mista → ditalini, tubetti, or broken dried mafalde
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of warm water, stirring constantly until hot and creamy.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the pasta separately in water instead of cooking it directly in the potato broth, which loses the rich, velvety starch.
- •Adding too much water at once, resulting in a runny soup rather than a dense, creamy, spoon-coating consistency.
- •Stirring in the provola over direct high heat, which can cause the cheese to separate and turn oily.
Serving suggestions
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