Pasta e Patate alla Napoletana

Tonight's recipe was found on Mario's Italian Kitchen. Pasta e Patate alla Napoletana. Pasta and Potatoes. You are probably thinking, "Carbs!" Well, it's not like it is a Pasta Pizza, now that is just wrong. This dish originated in the countryside around Naples. The Neapolitans traditionally made it using a variety of kitchen leftovers so it was almost certainly a dish associated with the local cuisine povera. This is the type of cooking I love. The type of food that my Great Grandparents might have made. I sadly do not know what my father or mother's grandparents did for a living in Italy. I cannot believe after all the time spend with my Dad going over the family tree that I do not know.

Anyway, dinner was really delicious. The potatoes were crispy, as was the pancetta. The pasta, Collezione, was the perfect weight for the sauce. I did add white wine, crushed red pepper and a knob of butter.

Will this recipe be made again? Yes.

Pasta and Potatoes Neapolitan-style-

Ingredients- Yes, it is time to take out your food scale to measure...
320gr mixed dried pasta
600gr potatoes, diced small
100gr sweet cherry tomatoes
70gr pancetta, chopped small
1 medium onion
1 stalk of celery
A spoonful of chopped celery leaves
Parmesan cheese for grating
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method-
Chop the onion and the celery and add to a heavy-based frying pan along with the olive oil. Add the pancetta and fry gently until the vegetables begin to soften. Roughly chop the cherry tomatoes and add these to the pan along with the diced potatoes. Stir well and continue to simmer on a gentle heat.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. If you are cleaning out your cupboards and using different shapes of pasta, make sure to add them according to cooking time. Cook until al dente.

A couple of minutes before the pasta are cooked, turn up the heat on the frying pan to reduce the cooking liquid. Do not let it dry out completely. Check for seasoning. Once the pasta is ready, drain and add this to the pan. Mix together well and throw in a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped celery leaves.

So while I am preparing dinner, and having set up the table for the photo shot, I turn and see Lucy ready for her close up.

Pasta with Pancetta, Potatoes and Arugula

I read a couple of recipes that inspired this meal. The one I followed was Pasta e patate alla Napoletana from Mario's Italian Kitchen. I used everything but the celery. Not sure why I did not use the celery. This was well received. Chris really enjoyed the dinner. I liked it too, but I was glad that we have leftovers. Yes, they will appear next week as a Pasta Pie. Another thing I liked about this meal was that it used up a lot of little things I had in the fridge. Again striving for no waste.

My rendition of Pasta e patate alla Napoletana from Mario's Italian Kitchen.

Ingredients-
2 tablespoons olive oil
70gr pancetta, chopped small
300gr potatoes, diced small
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, not drained
1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup baby arugula
1 pound fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method-
Place olive oil in a large saucepan, and turn heat to medium. Add onion and Pancetta to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, and crushed red pepper and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown all over, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add tomatoes and their juice, the cherry tomatoes along with 2 cups of the simmering water, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Stir well and continue to simmer on a gentle heat.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. A minute before removing the pasta, add the arugula and let it wilt.
Drain the cooked pasta and arugula and mix with the sauce.

After I drained the pasta I put it in the pasta bowl with a little butter and cheese. I could have stopped right there.

 But I added the sauce. It was the right thing to do.

And a note about lunch.

Worked from home today, so I heated up the leftover 

spaghetti squash and topped it with a poached egg. 

Wow!