This is a healty, southern Italian recipe combining pasta and potatoes is typical of the Campania region. It’s simple to make, very cheap (especially without the bacon) and very satisfying!
Ingredients for 4 people
400g Pastai Gragnanese mista corta pasta
70g bacon (optional)
70g extra virgin oliver oil
1 carrot
2 sticks celery
1 sprig parsley
1 large onion
700g potatoes
½ spoon tomato concentrate
1 litre vegetable stock
100g grated parmesan
Method
Chop and mix the bacon, vegetables and parsley. Finely dice the onion as well.
Put all the chopped ingredients in a pan to sauté gently. Now add the potatoes cut into cubes and the tomato concentrate. Leave a few moments, then sauté slowly for a half an hour.
Add a couple of ladles of boiling water or stock and when it comes back up to the boil add the pasta and let it cook. The potatoes should break down to form a “cream” that binds with the pasta.
Switch off the heat and leave for ten minutes or so.
Sprinkle the pasta and potatoes with grated parmesan, provolone or pecorino cheese and serve.
Finally….
This recipe was traditionally made with pieces of left over pasta, so if you don’t have any ‘Mista Corta’ to hand just empty out all of the pasta left in the bottom of your pasta packets and use that or break up some spaghetti which works well too!