Nonna's Pasta e Patate - A Southern Italian 'Cucina Povera' Classic (e95)

Buon Giorno A Tutti! In this episode, Nonna Mia, la nonna di tutti (everyone's grandmother), shares a dish from her childhood that she has continued to make for the past 7 decades: pasta e patate. Yes, it's the ultimate carb-comfort food, and a classic 'cucina povera' dish.
Cucina povera translates into the poor man's cuisine and many dishes in Nonna's repertoire are simple but wholesome dishes of this genre.
Postwar times in Southern Italy were economically very depressed, which accounts for the massive number of Italian immigrants around the world. But these dishes are healthy and delicious, and a favourite among millions of Italians in Italy and in the diaspora beyond. If you haven't tried them, we certainly suggest you do. One of the more famous such dishes is pasta e fagioli or you might have heard it called pasta fazool, (pasta with beans).
Nonna is from the hills of Cosenza, Calabria. And while this is how she has always made pasta e palate, recipes vary region to region and family to family. Some choose to include pancetta or bacon. Others like to fold in grated provolone, while some will include parsley, peperoncino and or drizzle olive oil. The options are many.
Ingredients you will need:
1.5 pounds of potatoes / .75 kg, peeled and cubed
1 pound of pasta of your choice / 450 grams (Nonna prefers spaghetti broken into bits)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) about 60 ml
2 cups of both pasta water & tap water
1/2 cup (45 grams) of parmesan cheese and more for sprinkling
salt and pepper to taste
Prince Edward Island (PEI), one of Canada's eastern provinces, is famous for its potatoes. Nonna proudly uses them since her son-in-law is from PEI and recently returned with a big bag from his holiday.
She washes, peels and cubes the potatoes. If you aren't swiftly cooking them, you might want to add water to stop them from oxidising.
In a pot, over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped half onion. Saute until tender then add the potatoes and 2 cups of water. Allow them to simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes, salted to taste. The mixture will become creamy. Remove from heat.
Concurrently, you will boil water in a separate pot, salt it and add your chosen pasta and cook as directed. Strain once al dente and combine the potatoes mixture with the pasta.
Add the parmesan cheese and the pasta water and stir. How much pasta water you add is a matter of preference - some prefer it more soupy while others, drier.
As above, there are numerous versions of this dish - some add pancetta, while others like to add provolone. You could season with peperoncino (chili), or parsley, or a drizzle of olive oil or all of the above, but here, Nonna demonstrates her family's way.
Nonna explains that some people like theirs bianco / white / plain, while others like it rosso / red. This is done by either adding in a few spoons of sugo (sauce) if you have it already prepared, or adding tomatoes earlier on.
Whether bianco or rosso, both are delicious! Buon appetito!
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