Across Italy · No.56 / 103
Pasta e patate
Pasta e patate
Diced potatoes simmer with shallot and rosemary; separately boiled pipe pasta finishes in the pan as potato starch emulsifies the sauce.
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Meet the dish
An Italian home dish that finishes pasta in potato cooking liquid
Without cheese or tomato, broken-down potato starch and olive oil coat the short pasta. Adding hot water gradually, as for risotto, creates concentrated cooking liquid while leaving some potato corners intact.
Pasta shapes to use
- Pipe rigate whose curves hold the thick potato sauce
Key ingredients
- Yellow potatoes
- Pipe rigate
- Shallot
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Dice potatoes evenly
Cut potatoes into small, even cubes and thinly slice the shallot. Warm olive oil, shallot, and rosemary over medium-low heat until aromatic without browning.
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Step 2: Simmer with gradual additions of hot water
Coat the potatoes in the flavored oil and add a small amount of hot water. Replenish it as it reduces for about 20 minutes, until some edges dissolve and the liquid turns starchy while the centers retain shape.
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Step 3: Finish the pasta with the potatoes
Boil pipe rigate in salted water until al dente and transfer it to the potato pan. Toss firmly with small additions of cooking water until glossy, then finish with thyme, black pepper, and raw olive oil.
What to watch for
- Gradual additions of hot water dissolve only the potato surface while preserving the centers. Cold water interrupts that controlled cooking.
- After adding pasta, press just a few potato cubes with a wooden spoon to help emulsification; do not turn the whole pan into mashed potato.
What sets it apart
Cheese and tomato play no role; the potatoes' own cooking liquid becomes the pasta sauce.