← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g Pancetta or guanciale, diced (optional)
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 800 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 1 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1.2 l hot water or light stock
• 250 g pasta mista or other small pasta
• 120 g smoked provola or provolone, diced
• 40 g Parmesan, grated
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and fry the pancetta (if using) for 4 min. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 min until soft.
2. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the potatoes, rosemary, a good pinch of salt and enough hot water to just cover. Simmer for 15–20 min, until the potatoes are soft and starting to break up.
3. Add the pasta and cook for 10–12 min, stirring often so it doesn’t stick, adding hot water a ladle at a time. Mash a few potato pieces to thicken it; it should end up thick and creamy, not soupy.
4. Take off the heat, remove the rosemary and stir in the provola and Parmesan. Cover for 2 min until the cheese melts into strings, then serve with black pepper.

Tips

• Skip the pancetta and it is vegetarian; a Parmesan rind simmered with the potatoes adds lots of flavour.
• Traditional Italian cheeses often use animal rennet; choose vegetarian ones if that matters to you.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Inside The Rustic Kitchen Sip and Feast Memorie di Angelina