This dish translates into Pasta with potato. Before you get started at the very thought of carb-on-carb…. This dish is apparently very popular in rural Italy. I was reading through many online posts and learnt about how this dish ‘pasta e `patate` is put together with leftover pasta, leftover tomato paste and potatoes. Potatoes have always been a go-to carb which is readily available for a very nominal cost … practically everywhere. Due to its ease of access, this dish is a humble dinner which can be put together quickly and will satisfy everyone.
How did we hit upon this idea?
I probably have mentioned it many times before …. My 12 year old pre-teen son loves potato 🤪 This past weekend when we were all planning our meals for the upcoming week, I mentioned that we need to come up with 2 vegetable choices to go with pasta. His answer – POTATO 😻 everyone pounced on him and said – potato and pasta don’t go together. Oh well, he does not give up, so he searches up online and comes back with the entire story of Pasta e patate and how it is a humble farmers dish and actually very comforting.
Alright so we began to figure out this dish. Started off with a simple red lentil pasta. As many of you are aware, I try my best to use whole grain pasta products. Banza red lentil pasta is one of our favorites.
The pasta recipe is a very simple one – a base of cream sauce with plenty of tomatoes – giving it a gorgeous pink hue; oat milk works very well for the sauce and as for the tomatoes – both fresh and canned are equally good. 3 simple aromatics – garlic, basil and anything spicy – we used habanero (but of course!)
Fry up thin strips of potatoes in an air-fryer until really crisp – almost like chips.
Thats it – serve the pasta topped with the crispy potato strips – the smooth creamy pasta juxtaposed with extra crunchy potatoes.
Do give this dish a try – you will not believe how simple it is to prepare and how satisfying it is. The presentation is also gorgeous – gourmet style 😄 top it with chopped basil and parmesan cheese (optional).
Vegan substitutes – Oat milk and vegan parmesan
Select a simple side salad to round off the meal – we did spinach with tomatoes and mozzarella – a bed of dressed baby spinach topped with a simple capresse salad. Just some olive oil, salt and pepper flakes.
Pasta e` Patate` – simple creamy tomato pasta topped with crisp potatoes
Ingredients
- 16 oz Banza Red Lentil pasta use any pasta of choice
- 2 cups Tomatoes chopped with juice
- 2 cups Potatoes thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Basil leaves thinly sliced
- 1 Habanero (optional) thinly sliced
- 2 cups Milk Vegan choice – Oat milk
- 1 tbsp Plain Flour
- 2 tbsps Olive Oil
- Fresh Basil and Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional) For Garnish
- Red Pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as per the box directions al dente, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside
- Start a large wok with olive oil; Add the aromatics – garlic, basil and habanero
- Sprinkle the flour and give it a good fry, add the milk and bring it to a low boil
- As you see the sauce thickening, add the pasta, season with salt and mix thoroughly to coat the pasta well, turn off heat
- Meanwhile, fry the potato strips to a crisp texture in the air-fryer, it should almost be like chips
- Top the pasta with the crisp potatoes and serve immediately
- Garnish with basil leaves and parmesan cheese; Sprinkle red pepper flakes (optional)
