Pasta con Crema di Patate | Mashed Potato Pasta Recipe
This traditional Neapolitan mashed potato pasta is, well, as good as it sounds. Like so many amazing Italian dishes, it uses just a few ingredients to make something absolutely delicious!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves 2.
For this recipe, you will need:
- 1 large russet potato
- Salt
- Fresh black pepper
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste
- 5.5 oz. (160g) large smooth tube pasta such as pennoni, ziti or paccheri
- 2 tbsp pork lard
For best results, we recommend using a vegetable mill for mashing the potatoes. A potato ricer or hand masher will work, though.
Place the potato, skin on, in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 40-50 minutes. Drain and allow the potato to cool to the touch.
Peel the potato and mash with a vegetable mill into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring a pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the pasta and cook as directed but 1 minute less than the "al dente" cook time.
Meanwhile, add grated Parmigiano cheese into the potatoes. No specific amount is necessary, just as much as you like! Stir in a little bit of the boiling pasta water at a time until the potatoes become very creamy and soft.
Melt the lard in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta into the pan, along with a small ladle of pasta water.
Stir until the pasta is coated in lard, then add the potato cream. Stir all together for about 1 minute.
Serve immediately, topped with extra grated cheese. Buon appetito!