Pasta e Patate, Pasta and Potatoes

Pasta e Patate alla Napoletana is a glorious and comforting dish from Naples. Made with guanciale, vegetables, rosemary, potatoes and of course, pasta! This hearty dish is so easy to make and is full of beautiful flavour.

Double the carbs double the goodness! It might seem strange to pair potatoes with pasta but trust us, this Neopolitan classic is unbelievably good. It's also not the first time we've featured a recipe with both potatoes and pasta together (see our Trofie al Pesto Genovese with Potatoes and Green Beans).

Traditionally, this dish is made with 'lardo' which is cured pig fat (good btw) but we like to use guanciale. You can opt to use either lardo, guanciale or even good-quality pancetta.

The recipe is also traditionally made with 'pasta mista' which is a mix of small pasta shapes such as orecchiette, broken pieces of linguine or spaghetti and malfalda corta to name a few.

We also like to use 'Ditali pasta' for this so whatever small pasta shape you can get your hands on will work well.

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, and variations. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Guanciale – as we said above, traditionally Lardo is used (cured pork fat) so you can use that instead or good quality pancetta.
• Soffritto – carrot, celery and onion finely chopped. You want to roughly use an equal amount of each.
• Potatoes – We like to use starchy potatoes (peeled and chopped into medium cubes).
• Rosemary – use fresh and not dried for best flavour.
• Tomato paste – you can leave this out or replace it with a little passata (tomato puree).
• Pasta – if you have odds and ends of small pasta shapes you can use them or you can buy 'pasta mista' (photo below). Alternatively, you can use a small pasta shape such as Ditali that we used to make our pasta e fagioli.

Step by step photos and instructions

Cut the tough rind (skin) off the guanciale and trim off any black seasoning. Cut into strips and set aside. Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion.

Add the guanciale to a large pot on a medium-low heat and saute until lightly golden. Add the finely chopped soffritto (carrot, celery and onion) and stir into the guanciale fat. Saute the veg until soft and translucent (5-10 minutes).

Add the potatoes, rosemary, parmesan rind, tomato paste and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine then add 600ml (2.5 cups) of water. Stir and bring to a simmer then turn down the heat to low and cover. Simmer the potatoes for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes uncover the pot and add the pasta with another 200ml (1 cup) of water. Stir and bring to a simmer, cook until the largest pieces of pasta are al dente. stir the pot occasionally as the pasta can stick to the bottom.

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Cooking the guanciale – don't cook the guanciale on a high heat or it'll burn quickly and turn bitter. You want it to have a slight golden brown colour and for the fat to melt.
• Consistency – Pasta e Patate is the cross between a saucy pasta dish and a soup (although doesn't quite fit into either category). As both the pasta and potatoes absorb a lot of liquid and release starch the sauce or broth will become thick. You can adjust this to your liking by adding more water.
• Season well – Guanciale and pancetta can be heavily seasoned (some more than others) so we recommend adding a pinch of salt then adjusting the seasoning at the end to taste.

How long does it last?

Once made the pasta and potatoes can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can reheat it on the stove but will need to add a little water to loosen it.

More good pasta recipes to try

Pasta

Pasta e Piselli (Pasta with Peas)

Pasta

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

Pasta

Genovese Sauce – La Genovese Napoletana

Soups

Pasta Fagioli Soup – Pasta & Beans

Ingredients

Makes 4 - 6 servings

• 3.5 oz (100g) Guanciale ((can also use good quality pancetta))
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large celery stalk
• 1 large onion
• 1.3 lbs (600g) starchy potatoes (peeled and cut into medium cubes)
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 7 oz (200g) pasta mista ((mixed small shapes))
• 3.5 cups (800ml) water
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cut the tough rind (skin) off of the guanciale and trim off any black seasoning. Cut into strips and set aside. Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion.

2. Add the guanciale to a large pot on a medium-low heat and saute until lightly golden. Add the finely chopped soffritto (carrot, celery and onion) and stir to combine in the guanciale fat. Saute the veg until soft and translucent (5-10 minutes).

3. Add the potatoes, rosemary, parmesan rind, tomato paste and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine then add 600ml (2.5 cups) of water. Stir and bring to a simmer then turn down the heat to low and cover. Simmer the potatoes for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes uncover the pot and add the pasta with another 200ml (1 cup) of water. Stir and bring to a simmer, cook until the largest pieces of pasta are al dente. Make sure to stir the pot occasionally as the pasta can stick to the bottom.

5. Serve in bowl with more black pepper.

Kitchen notes

1. 1. Cooking the guanciale don't cook the guanciale on a high heat or it'll burn quickly and turn bitter. You want it to have a slight golden brown colour and for the fat to melt.
   2. Consistency Pasta e Patate is the cross between a saucy pasta dish and a soup (although doesn't quite fit into either category). As both the pasta and potatoes absorb a lot of liquid and release starch the sauce or broth will become thick. You can adjust this to your liking by adding more water.
   3. Season well Guanciale and pancetta can be heavily seasoned (some more than others) so we recommend adding a pinch of salt and then adjusting the seasoning at the end to taste.
   4. Leftovers leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days and can be reheated on the stove with an added splash of water to loosen. You can also bake leftovers and top it with mozzarella.
   5. Note on cups in case anyone spots this 200ml (1 cup) of water is not an error. We tested this recipe using 800ml water total so have divided the cups where it makes sense. Technically you will add around 30ml extra water using cups but this will not effect the recipe.