Gattò di Patate, Neapolitan Potato Gateau

Gattò di Patate is a traditional Neapolitan potato cake made with creamy mashed potatoes and stuffed with cheese, salami, and ham. It's rich, indulgent and packed with flavour. solid comfort food for feeding a crowd.

Quick recipe overview

• Traditional Neapolitan recipe
• Time – 1 hour 35 minutes
• Flavour – rich, cheesy and savoury with a creamy inside and crispy golden crust.
• Suited to – family meals and feeding a crowd.

Gattò or Gateau di patate is a wonderful comfort food dish from Naples. It's said to have originated in France and was brought to the south of Italy in the mid 18th century. Italians gave it their own stamp using local ingredients including mozzarella, prosciutto, and salami.

You'll find variations of this found all over Italy especially in the south. In Sicily, we've had it with a small amount of bechamel in the middle which of course, is undeniably good.

Many years ago, our neighbour in Tuscany once made us her version of gattò di patate with Tuscan sausages through it, which, to this day is one of the most good things we've ever tasted.

This is a dish that's so versatile and can be adapted with whatever you have to hand. See our full recipe below including good variations to try and our top tips. Enjoy!

Ingredient notes

• Potatoes – we used yellow fleshed potatoes (red) but you can use any potatoes that are good for mash such as Maris Piper, Yukon Gold or Russet.
• Smoked Scamorza – this is a mild smoked cheese which can be swapped for another good melting cheese such as Fontina, Provolone or Gruyere.
• Salami – use any good salami you can get your hands on, preferably whole so it can be chopped into cubes.
• Ham – you could also use mortadella instead.
• Breadcrumbs – Use breadcrumbs with a fine texture (not panko). We use an Italian brand called Mulino Bianco.

How to serve it

We love to serve gattò di patate 'warm' about 30 minutes after baking or at room temperature when you can taste the good flavours of the meat and cheese in the potato.

It's traditionally served as an antipasto or primo but can also be served as a hearty side dish. We love to serve it antipasto style with other bites such as grilled veg or as a side to roast meat.

Swaps

You can use pretty much any meat and cheese you like, it's a great way of using up leftovers, what you have in the fridge and making it your own.

• Cheese – taleggio, fontina, gorgonzola, provolone, pecorino and gruyere are all great options.
• Meat – salami (hot or regular), cooked sausage, mortadella.
• Adding sauce – bechamel sauce is good in the middle of the gattò and gives it an extra creamy texture.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Adding eggs – taste the potatoe mixture for seasoning before adding your eggs and add more salt as needed. Also make sure your potatoes are not scalding (give them 5 minutes to cool) before adding the eggs otherwise they may scramble.

Cake tin vs casserole dish – you can make gattò di patate in either a springform cake tin which can be unmolded and served to guests or in a casserole or baking dish.

Prepping your dish – whatever dish you decide to use, it's important to grease it with butter then sprinkle over a fine layer of breadcrumbs. Shake the dish about until the breadcrumbs have fully coated the dish then discard any excess.

let it rest before unmolding – if using a cake tin let it rest for at least 15 minutes before unmoulding so it gets a chance to cool and set.

How long does this keep refrigerated?

Gattò di Patate will keep well for up to 3-4 days in the fridge and can be eaten hot or cold.

Can we freeze this?

Yes, once cooled completely you can cut it into portions and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Defrost completely before reheating in the oven until piping hot.

Can we prep this in advance?

Yes, you can prep the whole dish 1-2 days in advance and keep refrigerated until you are ready to bake.

More Neapolitan recipes to try

Italian Sunday Dinner

Ragu alla Napoletana (Neapolitan Ragu)

Pasta

Orecchiette alla Positanese (Sausage, Tomato and Burrata)

Pasta

Pasta e Patate (Pasta and Potatoes)

Antipasti

Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie)

Ingredients

Makes 8 - 10 servings

• 1.35 kg (3 lbs) potatoes ((we used red potatoes))
• 150 g (5oz) whole salami (cut into cubes)
• 180 g(6oz) smoked scamorza (cut into cubes)
• 125 g (4.4oz) ball of fresh mozzarella
• 50 g (3/4 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated)
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg ((optional))
• 100 g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter (divided, plus extra for greasing)
• 3 eggs large
• 3 large slices ham ((about 80g/3 oz))
• 5 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs ((2-3 for lining and 2 for topping))

Equipment

• inch springform cake tin

Method

1. Wash and scrub the potatoes, then place them in a large pot. Cover them with cold water, then place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover the pot and let them cook until fork-tender (about 20-25 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, chop the salami and smoked scamorza cheese into small to medium-sized cubes. Cut the mozzarella into slices and let it drain on kitchen paper.

3. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them, then pass them through a potato ricer into a large bowl (discard the skins).

4. Season the potatoes well with salt, pepper, and a small sprinkling of nutmeg, then add the grated Parmigiano cheese and 70g or 5 tablespoons of butter. Stir the potatoes until the butter has fully melted.

5. Let the potatoes cool for a about 5 minutes if still piping hot then, add the cubed scamorza and salami and stir through.

6. Whisk the eggs together with a fork in a bowl, then pour into the potato mixture and stir through until well combined.

Assemble

1. Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉ fan or 200℃/400℉ static.

2. Grease your 9 inch springform cake tin with butter, then line it with around 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs so the tin is coated.

3. Spread half of the potato mixture in the tin in an even layer, then cover it with the slices of ham and mozzarella. Top with the remaining half of potatoes and smooth out the top surface.

4. Sprinkle over about 1-2 tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs, then small dots of butter (about 30g or 2 tablespoons). Place on a tray, then bake in the oven for 40 minutes until nice and golden brown on top.

5. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before removing from the cake tin, then serve.

6. The gattò di patate is delicious, served hot or cold.

Kitchen notes

• You can use a cake tin or casserole dish to bake your gattò di patate.