Neapolitan Pasta and Potatoes with provola, original Neapolitan recipe.
Pasta and potatoes is a classic of traditional Neapolitan cuisine, belonging to the ancient popular tradition of recycling (in fact, mixed pasta is used, i.e., various leftover pasta shapes from the pantry and the parmesan rind, to use everything without waste) and, more generally, to the Italian peasant culture (“la pasta c’addora e’terra”, literally: the pasta that smells of the earth).
Neapolitan pasta and potatoes is an ancient, economical, tasty and simple first course, easy to prepare. It can easily serve as a one-dish meal.
In Naples, pasta and potatoes must be stringy, creamy and “sticky” (literally: “stuck” dense and dry, i.e., NOT brothy or worse, watery) otherwise it’s NOT pasta and potatoes! In this recipe, I’ll reveal all the secrets and step-by-step instructions to make it and prepare a “pasta and potatoes sticky” masterpiece.
If you are looking for tried and tested recipes (both sweet and savory) that are guaranteed to succeed and… flop-proof, click on the Special: “My TOP Recipes“.
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AUTHENTIC Neapolitan Cuisine
EASY First Courses
- Baked Pumpkin, Potato, and Fontina Pasta. Easy and Fast Recipe
- Air-Fried Pumpkin Cubes. Light and Tasty Side Dish, Easy and Fast
- Crunchy Air-Fried Chickpeas. Fast and Appetizing Snack
- Creamy Mezzanelli with Chickpeas and Sausage. Family Neapolitan Recipe.
- Potato Plumcake with Lentils and Provola. Easy Recipe
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 5-6 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: All seasons, Fall, Winter
Ingredients for Neapolitan Pasta and Potatoes
- 1.1 lbs Mixed Pasta (or any short shape, preferably from Gragnano with bronze die)
- 1.76 lbs Potatoes ("old", yellow-fleshed, non-floury, and definitely not new potatoes. The weight refers to peeled potatoes)
- 2 Carrots
- 1 stalk Celery
- 1 Onion
- 9 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil (approximately)
- 3.5 oz Pork Knuckle (or raw ham or smoked pancetta)
- to taste Pork Rind (or lard)
- 1 Garlic
- 4.2 cups Water (or Vegetable Broth)
- 7 oz Fresh Provola (better if dried 1 day in the fridge)
- 1 Parmesan Rind (or Grana Padano)
- to taste Chili Pepper
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
- to taste Grated Parmesan
- to taste Basil
- 3 Cherry Tomatoes (or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, optional)
Tools
- Chopper Braun, W1000 watt power + accessories
- Earthenware Pot
- Flame Diffuser
- Ladle
Preparation of Neapolitan Pasta and Potatoes
Take a pot (preferably earthenware) and pour in the extra virgin olive oil. Prepare a soffritto with finely chopped carrots, celery, and onion, then add some diced raw ham knuckle (possibly along with the “pork rind”) and cook everything gently for at least 15 minutes (the onions should become translucent).
After the indicated time, add the potatoes cut into not too small cubes (if you want, you can add some cherry tomatoes to the sauce, but I prefer without). Adjust with salt, pepper, and chili pepper, let them flavor in the soffritto, then add plenty of water (some use vegetable broth) and add the parmesan rind cut into pieces (or whole if you prefer) and cook for about 20 minutes.
At this point, pour the raw mixed pasta directly into the potato sauce (1st secret) and cook for about 6 minutes (it should be very al dente) (2nd secret). If it dries too much, gradually add boiling water (or vegetable broth).
Remove the pot from the heat and add the fresh buffalo provola (dried in the fridge for one day) cut into pieces and the grated parmesan.
Mix everything to melt the cheeses well, add a bit of fresh basil, cover the pot with a lid and let it rest for about 5-8 minutes before serving (3rd secret, the most important!).
You will see that – due to the steam created inside the pot – the pasta will finish cooking and the cheeses will become wonderfully stringy, thus achieving the famous Neapolitan pasta and potatoes, the authentic one: creamy and “sticky sticky” (as shown in the picture above), NOT brothy.
If you love Neapolitan cuisine, I recommend you take a look at the Section that collects all the “AUTHENTIC Neapolitan Cuisine” recipes, published here on my Blog!
Notes and Tips
TRICKS and SECRETS IN THE KITCHEN:
5 TIPS FOR A PERFECT SOFFRITTO.
Are cheese rinds edible? “…the rinds of some famous aged cheeses, like Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, are not directly usable due to their consistency BUT can be consumed cooked. Just wash them thoroughly and remove the outer layer with a grater or a knife, until the writings disappear, to use the remaining part as a tasty ingredient for soups and stews…” (for more information, read here).
With the name cotica or cotenna, we refer to the hard skin of the pig, which – from north to south of the Italian peninsula – is used as an ingredient in many renowned and tasty traditional dishes, generally, the rind should be washed, cut into strips, and boiled in water for about an hour here).
Shopping Tips!!!
To cook pasta and potatoes, I used this excellent earthenware pot, handmade and ideal for slow cooking, just like in the old days. It can be used on the stove, in a traditional oven, or a microwave. I recommend pairing it with a flame diffuser to avoid thermal shocks and achieve uniform cooking, preventing food from sticking and eliminating the need for constant stirring.
To chop the soffritto, I used the handy mini chopper accessory included with my Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender, which you can purchase at a special price on Amazon.
Read my review for GialloZafferano on the Hand Blender “Braun MQ9045 MultiQuick 9“.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
Origins and History of Neapolitan Pasta and Potatoes
The pasta, potatoes, and provola represents one of the oldest and at the same time most current recipes of good Neapolitan cuisine.
This dish, like almost all Neapolitan delicacies, originates from simple ideas, then perfected over time. In the 1600s, potatoes were among the easiest and cheapest ingredients to find, eaten a lot and in many different ways. The origins of potatoes are very ancient: officially, they made their way to Italy only in the sixteenth century, brought along with tomatoes after the discovery of America. It was discovered that the potatoes and tubers imported from the new continent adapted perfectly to the southern climate and began to be cultivated in large quantities. a recipe that would become widespread among the popular families of Naples.
Pasta and potatoes with its combination of two carbohydrates was indeed a substantial and energetic dish, perfect to nourish and satiate after a day of work. The first evidence of pasta, potatoes, and provola is found in the book “Cuoco Galante” by Vincenzo Corrado, who in 1773 left us the first recipe of the much-loved dish. From there, this recipe spread throughout Campania, captivating families with its goodness.
