Pasta e Patate e Provola
(PAH-stah eh pah-TAH-teh eh PROH-voh-lah)
Cucina Povera on a Tuesday: Grandma's Weeknight Survival Guide
This isn't a delicate Sunday feast. Pasta e patate is a Tuesday night hustle built from starchy russet potatoes, broken mista corta pasta, and a heavy wooden spoon. In Naples, the technique relies on preserving starch: we aren't boiling pasta in a separate pot—we're cooking it directly in the starchy potato broth like risotto. The starches collide, creating a thick, sticky emulsion that locals call azzeccata. No heavy cream. Let the pot sit ten minutes off the heat, then eat the whole thing with a spoon, catching the smoked provola stretching into that glorious, stringy pull.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- pancetta or thick-cut bacon3 oz
- yellow onion1 small
- carrot1 med
- celery1 med
- garlic clove1 med
- Yukon Gold potatoes1 lb
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- Parmigiano-Reggiano rind1 small
- fresh rosemary1 sprig
- hot water or low-sodium vegetable broth4 cup
- mixed dried pasta or ditalini10 oz
- low-moisture mozzarella cheese4 oz
- smoked provolone or scamorza4 oz
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano1/2 cup
- kosher salt and black pepperto taste
Method
- 01
Render the pork fat and build the soffritto.
Heat the olive oil and pancetta in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders and the pork begins to crisp. Toss in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, sautéing gently until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes, then discard the garlic clove.
- 02
Toast the potatoes and tomato paste.
Stir in the potatoes to coat them in the flavored fat, then push them to the edges of the pot. Drop the tomato paste into the center, letting it toast against the hot metal for 30 seconds to deepen its flavor before stirring it all together.
- 03
Simmer the broth and extract the starch.
Pour in the hot water and add the cheese rind, rosemary, and a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender, then remove the rosemary. Here is the trick for the azzeccata texture: take a wooden spoon and aggressively crush about one-third of the potatoes directly against the side of the pot.
- 04
Cook the pasta directly in the sauce.
Drop the mixed pasta straight into the simmering potato broth—do not drain or boil it separately. Cook uncovered for 9 to 11 minutes until al dente, stirring frequently at first and almost constantly toward the end as the starches thicken into a luxurious, stew-like bind.
- 05
Agitate the cheese off the heat.
Turn the heat off completely. Remove the cheese rind, then vigorously stir in the cubed mozzarella, smoked provolone, and grated Parmigiano for about 60 seconds. The residual heat melts the cheese into luscious, smoky strings without separating the fat, so serve it immediately.
From Cook Italian in America.