This humble, earthy and pleasant dish is certainly one of a household of pastas cooked with one other starch – reminiscent of pasta with beans, pasta with lentils or pasta with chickpeas. It’s historically ready first with a sofrito, wherein the potato is cooked with maybe slightly tomato to a form of stew, wherein the pasta is lastly braised. That’s pretty, however I make an excellent less complicated, extra delicate model – of pasta boiled with diced potatoes. The result’s beguiling.
Serves 4
yellow or white fleshed potato 400g, peeled and diced into 5mm cubes
dried brief pasta tubes 400g (reminiscent of ditali, ditaloni, tubetti, mezze maniche, tortiglioni, rigatoni or calamaretti)
glorious further virgin olive oil 100ml
floor black pepper ½ tsp
herb 1 sprig of rosemary, basil, oregano, fennel fronds or sage, chopped
pecorino romano or parmesan 80g, freshly grated (elective)
Set a big pan of well-salted water (10g salt per litre) on to boil. If you happen to diced precisely, the potato will take 8-10 minutes to cook dinner till barely mushy, fully tender, however not fairly disintegrating. If you happen to’re not sure, check a couple of cubes within the water earlier than continuing.
Relying on the cooking time of the pasta, add the pasta and potatoes as a way to the water, so they may each be cooked on the identical time (the pasta al dente, the potato fully tender). In case you are feeling much less gung-ho, you possibly can cook dinner the potato first, drain it, and maintain it heat whereas the pasta cooks.
Put the oil, pepper and your chosen herb in a metallic bowl and, if the bowl matches, heat them collectively over the water because the pasta cooks. Don’t let the water boil over.
Drain the pasta and potatoes, reserving a number of the cooking water, and add them to the bowl of oil.
Toss vigorously, including splashes of pasta water so a number of the potato begins to interrupt down and kind an emulsified sauce.
Serve instantly, with slightly cheese on high in case you like.
Jacob Kenedy is chef-owner of Bocca di Lupo, London W1
