Pasta e Patate con la Provola (Neapolitan Pasta, Potato & Provola Cheese Soup)

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Pasta e Patate con la Provola is a Neapolitan classic, straight out of la cucina povera, or poor man’s cooking. I do not feel poor however when I eat it, I feel damned lucky! It is a hearty, scrumptious, and comforting dish normally served in winter. Nonetheless, it is freezing in Bologna right now which gave me the perfect excuse to make it today! Yippee for silver linings. I didn’t make it this winter so am mighty satisfied to have squeezed it in before it truly gets too hot to make it. If it’s cold wherever you are, this recipe might be just what you need to warm your heart and body up.

La Bella Napoli…

The first time I had this dish was at a very famous trattoria in Naples called the Trattoria Nennella. This iconic trattoria is in the heart of the Spanish Quarter and is an absolute blast. To say that it has character is an understatement. It’s boisterous, loud, and serves delicious Neapolitan home cooking at amazing prices. If you are going to Naples, this place is a must. (They also have a branch in Milan now.) I try to go whenever I visit the city. I stumbled upon it in 2006 on my first visit, then went on my honeymoon in 2008, and now bring my daughter there. The owners also own another restaurant in the neighborhood, called the Osteria il Gobbetto. This restaurant is a touch more formal but still has a pretty relaxed atmosphere. I love their food too.

Pasta e Patate con la Provola – la cucina povera

This dish is an example of Neapolitan home cooking at its best. Pasta e Patate con la Provola takes simple and inexpensive pantry ingredients and transforms them into utter deliciousness. I personally would eat bowl after bowl of this over a steak any day. It’s so rustic that many restaurants don’t seem to serve it. I think that’s why the Trattoria Nennella is famous for it. Their offering and celebrating such a humble dish with pride is something that seems very appreciated by their clientele. When I was there they couldn’t serve it fast enough. In my experience, when I tell Neapolitans that I prepare it or am going to make it, their eyes glaze over and a smile covers their face. I think it reminds them of home, their city, their mothers and their nonnas. It doesn’t get better, does it?

The ingredients

This recipe is one that tastes like so much for not a ton of effort. I love that! That said, use the best ingredients you can find, which is the key to good Italian cooking. The majority of the ingredients are things that you can easily find anywhere:

• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic
• onion
• pancetta
• tomato (either canned, puree, tomato paste or even cherry tomatoes)
• potatoes (such as Yukon-Gold)
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (which adds a ton of flavor, they keep forever in the freezer)
• fresh red chili, or crushed red pepper flakes
• mixed pasta (pasta mista), spaghetti broken into pieces, or ditalini
• grated cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
• fresh basil

The last ingredient is provola affumicata cheese, which is a lightly smoked cheese, similar to scamorza or mozzarella. If you can’t find it substitute smoked scamorza, young provolone, or use half smoked mozzarella and half regular mozzarella (not fresh). The reason I say to mix those two kinds of cheese is that we have a tendency in America to like very strong flavors and our smoked mozzarella has a much smokier flavor than provola. By mixing the two, you won’t overpower your soup. The smoky flavor should be subtle.

Variations

There are of course various ways to make the soup. In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, some people use:

• minced carrot and/or celery
• lardo (cured lard) or cotenna (pork rind), instead of pancetta
• rosemary or marjoram, instead of basil
• you can also bake the dish, topped with more provola cheese until melty

Some notes

Before you get cooking, I need to mention a few more things. This soup, like many other popular soups in Italy, can be prepared thick enough to be eaten with a fork or cooked to a thick soup consistency. I leave that up to your preference. I like it thick but still want to eat it with a spoon. My recipe for Pasta e Patate con la Provola is based on my trying to capture what I ate in Naples and I used a number of sources to cobble up what I thought would do just that. I’m very pleased with the results. Feel free to add the other ingredients and aromatics that I mentioned if desired. From what I’ve seen, the tomato quantity varies quite a bit as well. You can add less if you want.

If you are interested in other Neapolitan dishes, please look at my recipe for Zucchine alla Scapece al Forno.

Hurry up and make this before it warms up too much! Don’t be put off by the combination of pasta with potatoes either, as funny as it sounds, it works. Trust me. It’s very common to see pasta and potatoes together and as the potato breaks down it coats the pasta with luscious, creamy potato goodness. It is a very good thing indeed. Happy cooking!

Update 2023

I have a new recipe from Naples available called Frittatine di Pasta Napoletane. These Neapolitan street food pasta fritters made with bucatini, peas, ham, and béchamel are absolutely scrumptious. The recipe can also be made with leftovers of Pasta e Patate con la Provola! Please read my post and make both versions of these delectable fritters. You won’t be sorry.

Pasta e Patate con la Provola (Neapolitan Pasta, Potato & Provola Cheese Soup

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Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) pancetta, cut into lardons or small cubes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 500 grams (1 lb 1 oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 150 grams (2/3 cup) canned Italian peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand (see note)
• 1 rind Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, rind washed and scrubbed
• 1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or the tip of a fresh red chili, such as a Thai Bird chili, optional
• 300 grams (10 oz) pasta mista, spaghetti broken into pieces, or ditalini
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) Provola cheese, or provolone, or a mix of smoked and regular mozzarella (not fresh), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2-4 leaves fresh basil, or to taste
• 1/2-1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, to serve on top

Instructions

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a tea kettle or pan.
2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic clove and cook until very lightly browned, press down to release its flavor. Take care to not burn it or brown it too much.
3. Next, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to crisp at the edges and releases some of its fat. Add the onion and chili, if using, and cook until the onion is translucent and softened.
4. Add the cubed potatoes and cook for a few minutes with the aromatics. Next, add the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and cook for another few minutes to combine the flavors.
5. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, the cheese rind, plus a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Smash some of them with your wooden spoon before adding the pasta. Add your pasta and a little more water, plus another pinch of salt. Cook until al dente, stirring frequently to keep it from sticking. You will need to stir a lot towards the end. Make sure that the water is constantly simmering and add water as necessary.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and remove the garlic clove and cheese rind. Add the cubed cheese and stir for one minute in one direction to melt the cheese and render the soup nice and creamy. Add some of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, stir and put on the lid for about 3 minutes. Just before serving, tear the basil leaves into the soup and stir. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese.

Notes

Note: You may also use tomato puree or a tablespoon or so of tomato paste. Use less tomato if desired.