Around five years ago, a friend sparked intrigue for the headliner of her upcoming dinner party by describing it as una maratona di carboidrati (a marathon of carbohydrates)—before revealing the dish as Pasta and Potatoes.
If you came of age in the Atkins era as I did, a part of you might find yourself unwittingly tut-tutting this carb coupling. But if you’ve ever tasted Gabriele Bonci’s potato pizza at Rome’s Pizzarium, you’ll know that the gratifying, surprisingly delicate compatibility of a carb-and-carb combo eclipses any doubts you might have about pairing one variety of these crucial biomolecules with another.
While the Atkins frenzy fizzled during the early aughts, the nearly century-old ketogenic diet has shifted into the mainstream in recent years. Yes, these diets have changed many people’s lives for the better, but non-abiders like myself take pride in adhering to what we knew in our hearts all along: there’s no shame in enjoying carbs.
Our bodies burn carbs as we while away the day, and the Mayo Clinic states that carbs should “make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories.” Whether we’re working, running, hitting up the gym, tidying up our home, or whatnot, our bodies require the fuel that carbs provide and risk a state of perpetual fatigue without it.
Some carb loyalists choose to forego refined carbs, but pasta packs vital nutrients such as protein as well as a low-fat percentage and calorie count—a single cooked cup contains approximately 220 of the latter. And, as starchy as the union might seem, pasta tastes cozier and comfier when paired with potatoes, which are replete with protein, fiber, potassium, vitamins C and B6, and magnesium, among other nutrients.
Neapolitan in origin, Pasta e Patate emerged in the 17th century, sometime after tubers arrived in Italy. Recipes vary of course, but the potatoes never fail to soften and seemingly melt into a creamy texture, coating the pasta like a velvety sauce. This fragrant, plush delight has become my go-to panacea for those chilled-to-the-bone, frigid Milanese winter nights.
My own version took form after a few years of trial and error—I find pasta and potatoes a palatal embodiment of my Irish and Italian heritage, and I think that metaphor initially drew me to the dish. My version omits some of the more “traditional” ingredients, such as tomatoes in some shape or form and the Parmigiano rind (I don’t always have one in my freezer), but that’s the beauty of cooking. There’s no “wrong” or “right” way to prepare a dish when we adapt it to our own.
Pasta and Potatoes recipe by An Americana in Milan (a.k.a. Jaclyn DeGiorgio)
Serves 2 (with leftovers)
Ingredients:
¾ cup small pasta or broken spaghetti
3 - 4 medium to large potatoes, peeled and chopped
soffritto (1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, and ½ onion diced)
1 tbsp. pancetta
1 bay leaf
½ glass of white wine
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Method:
Bring a kettle of water to a boil and keep nearby.
Drizzle a Dutch oven with extra virgin olive oil and heat over a medium flame.
Place the pancetta in the pot and cook for around five minutes.
Add the soffrito and cook for around three minutes, stirring, until soft and the onions are translucent.
Add the potatoes and bay leaf and stir for 1-2 minutes, completely covering in oil.
Pour the wine into the Dutch oven and cook until dissolved.
Add enough water to fully cover the potatoes (around 1½ liter of water), and adjust the heat to high. Season with salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to low. Skim the fat off the top and discard it.
Cook for around 25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and mashable. (Tip: the thinner you cut the potatoes, the faster they will cook.)
Stir every five minutes or so. If the water level drops significantly, pour some of the boiling water from the kettle into the pan.
Remove around ⅓ of the mixture with a ladle and puree with an immersion blender, then pour it back into the Dutch oven.
Add the pasta and some salt, and cook at a simmer for around 8-10 minutes. The liquid should cover the pasta. If necessary, add some boiling water from the kettle to cover it.
Also, the puree changes the liquid’s texture, so keep an eye on it while it cooks, and stir every two minutes so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the liquid starts to evaporate quickly, replenish with boiling water from the kettle.
Ladle into serving bowls and top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (or both!).
Note: If you’re a vegetarian or pescatarian (or you’re cooking for one), just skip the pancetta. If you want to include a Parmigiano rind, add it when you add the water to the potatoes. Rosemary is optional as well—you can add a sprig the same time you add the potatoes and bay leaf.