Pasta Modern by Francine Segan Page B

and Puglia
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I love recipes like this one, where you pop raw ingredients into the oven, walk away, and return to a gourmet dinner!
It’s called “pasta without water,” because instead of cooking the pasta in boiling water, the uncooked pasta is layered with sliced tomatoes, potatoes, and herbs and baked into deliciousness. It absorbs lots of flavor as it melds with the other ingredients!
It’s a casual, easy-to-assemble recipe that lends itself to improvisation. Use any type of potato you like: colorful and tasty Yukon golds, purple potatoes, tiny red potatoes. Add veggies like zucchini or spinach, herbs like thyme or marjoram, and even salami, if you like.
Olive oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
Dried oregano
Dried basil
3 pounds (1.4 kg) potatoes, any type, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt
4 pounds (1.8 kg) baby Roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
1 pound (455 g) pennoni or other tube pasta
3 cups hot vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper
Grana padano , pecorino, or any aged cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat, drizzle 2 tablespoons oil. Scatter the onions over the entire bottom of the pan, sprinkle with oregano and basil to taste, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Top with a layer of potatoes, pressing down firmly and evenly. Drizzle on about 3 more tablespoons oil, oregano to taste, the garlic, and salt to taste. Top with half the tomatoes, then scatter on the raw pasta. Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons oil and basil to taste. End with a layer of tomatoes, skin side up. Using a spatula, press all the layers down very firmly, all the while cooking it over medium-high heat.
Pour the hot stock over the top, put aluminum foil right onto the surface of the food, and cover it with a lid. Bake until the pasta and potatoes are tender, about 1 ½ hours, checking periodically to see if more liquid is needed (if it is, add some boiling water).
Increase the oven temperature to 475°F (245°C). Remove the lid and foil, sprinkle with the black pepper and ½ cup of grated cheese, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden on top. Serve with more shaved or grated cheese on the side.



RISOTTO-STYLE SPAGHETTI WITH POTATOES
    { Pasta spezzata con crema di patate }
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    SERVES 4 | REGION: Campania, Naples
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    Spaghettata di mezzanote
     
    Midnight spaghetti REFERS TO ANY PASTA MADE AS A QUICK LATE-NIGHT SNACK
Neapolitans consider this dish a sure cure for insomnia! No need to count sheep when you can sup on the fluffy white clouds of this satisfying dish. A good night’s sleep is guaranteed.
Creamy, but made without cream, potato and garlic dissolve into velvety delight. The pasta cooks right in the sauce like risotto, a technique called risottare . This dish is traditionally made with a mix of all sorts of different pasta shapes, which is nowadays sold ready-mixed in one package. Of course, you can use just one type, like broken-up spaghetti, if you prefer.
I learned to make this dish from my friend Sonia Piscicelli, whose blog, Il Pasto Nudo, is one of my favorites. I love her tip to use all the parsley when cooking, including the flavorful stems!
1 pound (455 g) potatoes, any type, peeled and diced
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
8 ounces (225 g) spaghetti, broken into bite-sized pieces
Grated pecorino or other aged cheese
⅓ cup (30 g) finely minced fresh parsley leaves and stems
1 small dried red chile pepper, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the potatoes, ¼ cup (60 ml) oil, and the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes start to break up a bit, about 10 minutes. Add about 2 cups hot water, just enough to cover the potatoes by ½ inch (12 mm). Raise the heat, bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes more. Add the pasta and stir until combined;