Neapolitan-style pasta and potatoes
- Easy
- 1 h 10 min
- Kcal 238
Whenever pasta and potatoes is mentioned, we can't help but think of the famous Neapolitan version of this dish! We pay tribute to it in our very own version with pancetta bacon and smoked mozzarella di bufala cheese. This hearty first course is just as simple as it is delicious. Start with the vegetable base, enriched with a little lard and pancetta bacon; add the potatoes, which will become soft and creamy when cooked with the pasta, then finish with the essential touch of the cheese crust and smoked mozzarella. This ingredient is well-loved by the people of Campania, who call it provola cheese; it is a mozzarella that is smoked to conserve its callous consistency that is rich in whey, with the added advantage of a smoked note.
Pasta and potatoes with provola and pancetta is truly a delicious first course that will soon become your go-to comfort food.
To prepare pasta and potatoes with provola and pancetta, start by cleaning the vegetables. Finely chop the celery, onion and carrot 1. Then peel the potatoes 2 and cut them into sticks 3.
Now dice into cubes of around 1 cm in size 4. Prepare the lard: cut it into strips 5 and then dice into small cubes 6.
To prepare the pancetta bacon, simply cut it into thin strips 7. Heat a drizzle of oil in a deep pan, add a sprig of basil (you'll need the leaves for later) 8, add the lard and the pancetta bacon 9.
Brown for a couple of minutes then remove the sprig of basil 10. Add the chopped vegetables, salt to taste 11 and then add the tomato paste 12.
Stir thoroughly before adding the potatoes 13 and water, to cover all the ingredients 14. Cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes 15.
In the meantime, dice the provola into cubes 16 and leave to drain 17. Then dice the grana cheese crust into small cubes 18.
Now add the pasta to the sauce 19, along with a little hot water 20: add it gradually as it must be completely absorbed by the pasta. Stir occasionally; it will be creamy once cooked. Remove from the heat, shred and add the basil leaves you saved for later, followed by salt and pepper to taste 21.
Lastly, add the grana cheese crusts 22 and stir 23. Finish by adding the provola and enjoy your pasta and potatoes with provola and pancetta nice and hot 24.