The pasta and potatoes is a traditional dish that our family has always prepared, ideal for when you want a warm and tasty dish, perfect especially on a winter evening, but not only. My mother often cooked it even when ideas were scarce, but she still wanted to serve a flavorful dish that gathered the whole family. Easy to make, with a few simple and affordable ingredients, it has always been a food that enriches Italian tables, even in difficult times. Every family has its version, and I will follow the one my mom used to prepare, adding a few small changes, but keeping respect for tradition.
Before moving on to the recipe, I remind you of other traditional dishes that, like pasta and potatoes, are symbols of Italian home cooking
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 385.85 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 39.90 (g) of which sugars 1.19 (g)
- Proteins 7.80 (g)
- Fat 22.01 (g) of which saturated 7.02 (g)of which unsaturated 10.68 (g)
- Fibers 3.89 (g)
- Sodium 961.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 260 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1.75 oz pork cheek (cubed)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste chili pepper
- 7 oz potatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato pulp
- to taste salt
- 1 quart water
- to taste bay leaves
- 4.5 oz pasta (soup pasta)
Tools
- 1 Pot
Preparation
Place the pork cheek in a pot along with a drizzle of oil and the chili pepper, browning it over medium heat without burning.
When the pork cheek is well browned, add 3 tablespoons of tomato pulp and potatoes cut into small cubes. Adjust with salt and let it cook for a couple of minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
Now just add the water, adjust with coarse salt, add a few bay leaves and bring to a boil, always covered. When it boils, lower the heat and let it cook for about an hour, keeping the lid slightly ajar or lifted to prevent the broth from overflowing during cooking. This way, the broth will become flavorful and reduce. In the end, just cook the pasta and enjoy the warm and tasty dish.
For cooking the pasta, I always recommend using a smaller pot, where you pour some of the broth and cook the pasta directly there. Then plate it and add the broth to taste, according to each diner’s preferences. Some like it drier and some more brothy. If there is leftover broth, it is also great consumed with simple croutons of bread, for an even tastier dish.
NOTES
You can prepare pasta and potatoes without the pork cheek for a vegan or vegetarian version. However, I recommend sautéing a little onion with the chili pepper at the beginning, before adding the other ingredients. This way, you will still give the dish a great taste, maintaining its rich and flavorful taste.
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