Pasta With Potato Sauce Alla Decaro Food

PASTA WITH POTATO SAUCE ALLA DECARO

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet cook onion in oil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Add parsley, potatoes, salt, pepper, and water plus additional if necessary to barely over potatoes and simmer, covered, until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
• While potatoes are cooking, in a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to boil for pasta.
• Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente and drain in a colander. Return pasta to kettle and add potato mixture, tossing gently to combine well.
• Serve pasta with Parmesan to taste.

ONE-POT POTATO PASTA (PASTA E PATATE)

Steps:

• Cut onion, carrot and celery into small pieces.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch chunks.
• Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the diced vegetables (soffritto), reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Stir frequently.
• Add the potato chunks, the tomatoes, and salt to the pan, stir well to coat.
• Pour in hot water, cover, increase the heat and cook for a couple of minutes, until the potatoes are almost soft.
• Then add pasta, and cook until al dente, stirring frequently. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, add a bit of boiling water.
• When the pasta is nearly done, taste and adjust the seasoning. Make sure you're happy with the consistency, if you prefer a soupy potato pasta add more water and give a good stir.
• Turn the heat off, add grated parmesan cheese, parsley, black pepper and stir well.
• Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and extra black pepper, parmesan cheese, and parsley if you wish. Enjoy!

BEST EVER PESTO & POTATO PASTA

Steps:

• KIDS: the writing in bold is for you. GROWN-UPS: the rest is for you. Pick the basil for the pesto. Get your child to pick the basil leaves off the stalks. Ask them to look at and smell the leaves as you tell them the name of the herb until they remember it - try to do this with all herbs when you can.
• Make the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a low heat. A child of seven years plus can stir the nuts in the pan. Tip into a mini chopper (or use a pestle and mortar) with the basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Blitz or pound into a green sauce, then set aside.
• Chop up the beans. Using a child-friendly knife, get children from the age of five to chop the green beans into shorter lengths, and quarter the potatoes. Younger children can snap the beans into short lengths while you prepare the potatoes.
• Cook the vegetables and pasta. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and boil for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and ask the child to tip in the pasta and give it a stir. Put the pan back on the heat, boil the pasta for 5 mins, add the beans and cook for a final 3 mins.
• Mix everything together. Drain everything well and tip into a bowl. Spoon most of the pesto into the pasta and stir everything together to coat. Bring the large bowl of pasta to the table and serve with extra parmesan, more basil and remaining pesto, if you like.

PASTA WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Put several cups of water in a pot on stove, and keep it at a simmer. Place olive oil in a large saucepan, and turn heat to medium. If you're using pancetta or bacon, add it to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. (If you are omitting the meat, proceed to the next step.)
• Add potatoes, garlic and chiles and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown all over, about 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups of the simmering water, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes and prevent sticking.
• While potato mixture is cooking, break long dried pasta, like spaghetti, into several lengths; place cut pasta, like ziti, in a bag, and break it up with the back of a pot or a hammer. After potato mixture has simmered for about 10 minutes, add pasta and plenty of salt and pepper to pot. Simmer, stirring and adding the simmering water as necessary; mixture should remain thick and stewy, never dry.
• When potatoes are tender and pasta quite tender - this will take 20 minutes or more - the dish is done. (It may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks; it's likely that you will need to add more liquid when you reheat.) Check the seasoning, and add some crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper or salt if needed. Serve hot, in bowls.