This blog post is dedicated to my son, who keeps insisting I write down Nonna’s traditional recipes. Apparently, he believes our family recipes deserve their own historical preservation society.
Some recipes aren’t meant to impress dinner guests; they’re meant to remind you where you came from.
Every Friday night, my mom made a dish we called pasta e patate, (potatoes and pasta). It’s a simple one-pot meal made from pantry staples, so it’s easy to put together and doesn’t take much effort.
When I was growing up, dinner at our house always followed tradition. We started with a primo (the first course) which was usually a hearty soup like broccoli and pasta, green beans and potatoes, escarole and cannelli beans or Swiss chard and potatoes.
There was a whole collection of hearty peasant dishes designed to feed large families on small budgets. They weren’t glamorous, but they could comfort you faster than therapy and a weighted blanket combined. Some of those recipes will definitely be making their way onto this blog soon.
After that came the secondo (the protein course), which was either fish, meat, or poultry served with vegetables.
On Friday fish nights, our family kicked off the meal with steaming bowls of pasta e patate soup.
Pasta e patate belonged to an entire lineup of humble Italian dishes you’ll never see featured on a trendy restaurant menu beside a drizzle of truffle oil, but it’s a staple in many Italian homes and memories.
Paste e Patate
Ingredients:
2 cups short pasta (such as ditali or small shells)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed evenly
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
broth (chicken, beef, vegetable) or if you don’t have broth on hand, you can simply use water
1 red chilli pepper, chopped (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil
Grated pecorino cheese
Salt to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped – or – fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
Cook the garlic:
Add a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and minced garlic to a large saucepan while the pot is still cold. Turn the heat to low and sauté the garlic gently until fragrant and lightly softened. Do not let the garlic brown or burn, as it can become bitter.
Add the tomatoes and chilli pepper:
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and chilli pepper, if using. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down and soften.
Cook the potatoes:
Add the cubed potatoes to the saucepan and stir to coat them in the oil and tomato mixture. Pour in enough broth (or water) to fully cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and season with salt.
Add the pasta:
Once the potatoes are nearly tender, add the pasta directly into the same pot. Cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. Add more hot water if needed as the pasta cooks.
Finish the dish:
Turn off the heat and sprinkle each bowl with grated pecorino cheese.
Drizzle a little more extra-virgin olive oil on top.
Top with chopped parsley or chopped basil.
Buon appetito!
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