Pasta e Patate

thick, starchy, better the next day

Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1h 10m
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Rating
4.6 / 5 (178 ratings)

The potatoes do two things: give you chunks to eat and release starch into the water, making the whole thing thick and dense. It should end up somewhere between a pasta dish and a soup, closer to spoonable than pourable. If you have pork rind (cotiche), use it. It adds a depth you can't get any other way. The version here uses a little tomato.

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

  • 700 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 250 g pasta mista or broken mixed short pasta
  • 100 g pork rind (cotiche), cleaned and cubed (optional but very worth it)
  • 30 g lard (sugna) or olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 200 g canned peeled tomatoes
  • 1200 ml hot water or light stock
  • to taste salt and black pepper
  • to finish Parmigiano or Pecorino, grated
  • to drizzle extra virgin olive oil
  • a few leaves fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

Method

  1. 1. Soffritto and pork rind

    In a large heavy pot, warm the lard or oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. If using pork rind, add it now and let it colour slightly for 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. 2. Add tomatoes and potatoes

    Crush the canned tomatoes into the pot with your hands. Cook for 5 minutes until they darken slightly. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat them in the soffritto.

  3. 3. Cook the potatoes

    Pour in the hot water or stock. Season well with salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender. Use a spoon to break up about a third of them against the side of the pot — this thickens the broth.

    The liquid should look too high at this point. It'll reduce significantly when you add the pasta.

  4. 4. Add the pasta and finish

    Add the pasta directly to the pot and cook for the time on the packet, stirring often (the starch makes it stick). The result should be thick and almost porridge-like. Pull off the heat, drizzle with olive oil, add the cheese, and rest for 2 minutes before serving.

    Pasta e patate thickens dramatically as it sits. If reheating the next day, add a good splash of hot water and heat gently. It comes back fine.

Nutrition per serving

  • 520 kcal
  • Protein: 17g
  • Carbs: 82g
  • Fat: 13g

A bit of history

Pasta e patate comes from the cucina povera tradition — the cooking of necessity, where starchy ingredients were stretched with water, pork fat, and whatever was available. The potato arrived in southern Italy in the late 1700s and became a staple quickly, particularly in Naples where it fed a large and often poor population.

The use of pasta mista (mixed pasta leftovers, different shapes and sizes cooked together) was a way to use up what was left in the cupboard. You can still buy pasta mista specifically labelled for this dish. The shapes all cook slightly differently, which some people consider a feature.