Pasta with potatoes and provola — grandma’s recipe, the famous Neapolitan pasta. The Neapolitan pasta and potatoes is the recipe for an ancient first course that has evolved over time: a delicious, rich variation of the classic pasta-and-potatoes soup and a simple, delightful potato recipe that includes the addition of pancetta or lard and lots of cheese. Creamy, comforting and stringy thanks to the smoked provola added off the heat, Neapolitan pasta and potatoes, famous like the Neapolitan Genovese, is also a substantial one-dish meal, nourishing and economical, perfect for the whole family and a comfort food to enjoy when it starts to get cold. The Neapolitan pasta and potatoes is an old, humble recipe that over time has been enriched with provola and pancetta, but like every traditional dish there is no single definitive version. I chose to make the version given to me by one of my readers from Naples: this is exactly her family’s version, the one her children love, especially when prepared by their grandmother. And I tell you the truth, my children adored it too! Want to try it? Follow me into the kitchen, but first a reminder: if you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also take a look at these Neapolitan recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Autumn
Ingredients to make Neapolitan pasta and potatoes with pancetta and smoked provola
- 11 oz mixed pasta
- 1 3/4 lb potatoes
- 1 whole white onion (or yellow)
- 1 whole carrot (small)
- 1 stalk celery
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 oz pancetta
- 1 piece parmesan rind (about 1.8 oz (about 50 g))
- to taste black pepper
- 1.5 oz grated Parmesan
- 3.5 oz smoked provola
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- to taste rosemary (fresh – a few needles)
Tools
- Pot
Preparation of Neapolitan pasta and potatoes
As I mentioned above, there is not a single variant of Neapolitan pasta and potatoes, but this is the version a reader from Naples gave me — her family’s recipe, a really tasty dish that my loved ones also appreciated.
To make Neapolitan pasta and potatoes, start by preparing a nice mirepoix of celery, carrots and onion. Put it in a heavy-bottomed pot with a good drizzle of oil and let it soften over low heat.
Add the pancetta and once it has blanched, add the peeled, rinsed and coarsely chopped potatoes.
Stir constantly over high heat and when the potatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, pour in about 1 liter of water, add the tomato paste and bring to a boil.
At this point you could add the parmesan rind and the bay leaves, but I forgot them and added everything shortly after adding the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly and adding hot water when necessary.
Meanwhile, adjust the salt.
When cooking is complete, the potatoes should have become creamy and the pasta creamy as well, though somewhat brothy. Add the provola, a few rosemary needles and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Stir to obtain a beautiful creamy, stringy pasta and serve immediately.
Storage tips and advice
I recommend eating the pasta right away, while it is still hot and stringy. If there are leftovers, store them in the fridge once cooled and well sealed in an airtight container. Reheat in a pan over high heat before eating again.
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