Potato and provola pie with pasta matta, a recipe for a savory pie that is humble, quick, rustic and, above all, a great fridge-cleaner. You can make it with Pasta matta with olive oil, with savory shortcrust pastry or homemade puff pastry, and even with an re-milled semolina dough.
This cheese-rich potato pie was born one day when I had cheeses in the fridge that needed to be used and I wanted to avoid them going bad. I didn’t have time for a long rise with a classic dough, so I opted for pasta matta, which by itself is really tasty — just like my Sausage and Potato Savory Pie.
To make this savory pie with pasta matta I precooked the potatoes in the microwave; if you don’t have one you can simply cook them in a pan. Among the cheeses I used, the smoked provola (scamorza) deserves a place of honor — I strongly recommend using it — but any other cheese you have will work.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Re-milled durum wheat semolina (or 00 (all-purpose) flour)
- 7 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup Water (about 170 g/ml)
- 2 tbsp Vinegar (about 30 g)
- 2 tsp Salt (about 10 g)
- 14 oz Potatoes (about 0.9 lb (400 g))
- Half onion
- as needed Salt
- 1/2 cup Grana Padano, grated (or Parmesan (about 50 g))
- 3.5 oz Smoked scamorza (or provola (about 100 g / ~1 cup))
- as needed Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Cream cheese (spreadable) (for creaminess (about 60 g))
- 3.5 oz Mozzarella (about 100 g (~1 cup))
Preparation
Begin by preparing the pasta matta: gather all the ingredients in a bowl and work them roughly together, then move everything to the work surface and knead until you obtain a homogeneous, elastic dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
While the pasta matta rests, cook the potatoes. You can do this in three different ways:
– Wash, peel and cut them into chunks, slice the onion, put everything in a steamer and cook for 15 minutes. I used my microwave steamer.
– Wash, peel and cut them into chunks, slice the onion, place everything in a glass or ceramic bowl, add a little water, cover with a plate or anything that limits steam escape, and cook in the microwave for 15 minutes (a reliable method I’ve tried many times).
– Wash, peel and cut into chunks, slice the onion and brown it in plenty of olive oil. Add the potatoes, sauté, season with salt and let them cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, adding a little water if needed.
Divide the pasta matta into two pieces.
Roll out the first piece to a thickness of 2–3 mm (about 1/16–1/8 in); it should be thin, and use it to line a 30 cm (12-inch) baking pan.
Fill with the potatoes. If you didn’t use salt and oil during cooking, now is the time to add them.
Give a generous sprinkle of grated Grana Padano and add whichever cheeses you have in the fridge to taste.
I added about 3.5 oz (≈1 cup) of mozzarella, about 3.5 oz (≈1 cup) of smoked provola, a few dollops of cream cheese spread and a dusting of black pepper.
Roll out the other half of the dough, roll it onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the filling.
Crimp the edges to seal the pie.
Bake in a conventional (non-fan) oven preheated to 356°F (180°C) for about 30 minutes, or until properly golden.
Remove from the oven, cover with a cloth and let rest for at least twenty minutes before serving.
Our rich fridge-cleaner pie is ready to be enjoyed — and imagine the delicious aroma!!
If you liked this recipe, also take a look at:
–Puff Pastry Tart with Potatoes and Mozzarella;
–Puff Pastry Roll with Potatoes and Fresh Salmon;
Storage and tips
You can keep the pasta matta in the fridge for a couple of days, covered with plastic wrap. The savory pie with potatoes and pasta matta can be prepared in advance and enjoyed at room temperature. After 12 hours it should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten after reheating.
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