There are few but good, not to say very good, the things that Neapolitans cannot do without. On the podium: pizza, Troisi’s films and pasta dishes. Among the latter, the choice is more than ever wide and appetizing, with the many formats of the Campania tradition – from spaghetti alla chitarra to mafaldine and perciatelli, passing through the simpler linguine, ziti, fusilli – and condiments capable of enhancing the flavors of Mediterranean “diet”: the red ragù, the white “Genoese” sauce, the “aulive e chiapparielli” sauce, the “scarpariello”.
«A Naples food is such an important fact that it stays in the mouth long before being eaten, and stays there for a long time! », they say Maria Teresa Di Marco e Lydia Capasso, authors of the book “The cuisine of Naples“(Guido Tommasi Editore, 23.75 €), winner for Italy in the “city” category ai Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards 2020. “If you want to take care of someone, show them your affection, in Naples you cook for them.”
They are two women, two authors, two passionate cooks known in the world of the blogosphere (Maria Teresa, communication consultant and food stylist, is the soul of the blog The Cuisine of Calycanthus, while Lydia designed the site Tzatziki for breakfast and signs the column “Sweets in the mirror” on Cook, the cooking magazine of Corriere della Sera) united by the love for regional gastronomy. Which in the case of the whole Campania cuisine – and of the Neapolitan one in particular – becomes shared culture, «A very rich tradition, full of layers and charm».
Their favorite dishes? Struffoli and pastiera for the first, endive pizza for the other. But also the well-known and timeless Neapolitan-style pasta and potatoes, a first of everyday life – «comfortable and safe» – contained in their cookbook.
«They are two carbohydrates for one dish, cheap and filling. To do this, you need celery, aromatic herbs and the exactness of execution required by the “fire test” (overturn the bowl without the contents escaping!) ».
What does this preparation evoke in you?
Maria Teresa: «A certain apprehension. Because also an apparently simple and rustic dish that hides a thousand warnings: potatoes of the right size, excellent smoked provola, the correct level of “aptness”. It is a real ritual, in Naples, that of pasta and potatoes, a religion made up of accuracy and tradition. A friend of Neapolitan origins, Flavia, taught me it during a lesson in her kitchen ».
Lidia: «I started preparing pasta and potatoes in Florence, where I studied, but my first memories of this dish have to do with my grandmother Livia. She often cooked it when I went to lunch with her, using penne smooth (an abomination for a Neapolitan, able to distinguish the right pasta shapes for each preparation. But that’s how it was done at home!) “.
Which format to use, then?
Maria Teresa: “I love mixed pasta, a poem in itself!”
Lidia: «CI agree: mixed folder Mafalda cuts»
Which potato variety to prefer?
Maria Teresa: “Good potatoes, which fall apart without pulping, in short, capable of binding without becoming puree”
Lidia: «I use the mountain ones, but the important thing is that snapshot, that is, that they “bind” to the fullest “
A secret of preparation?
Lidia: “It’s a trick taught to me by Andrea Aprea, two Michelin-star chef from Campania, in the version without provolone: a drizzle of mastic oil to complete the dish”
And a variation on the theme?
Maria Teresa: «Marjoram instead of the more traditional basil. A very pleasant aromatic change “
What other dish would you accompany pasta and potatoes, to complete a Made In Naples menu?
Lidia: “Sausages and broccoli, to conclude lightly!”
And which wine would you pair with?
Maria Teresa: «A macerated Trebbiano. Or, to stay in Campania, a good Fiano ».
Click on the gallery in alto to find out how to prepare, in a few simple but scrupulous steps, one of the most popular first courses of the Neapolitan tradition, one that warms your heart as only in the shadow of Vesuvius: the Neapolitan-style pasta and potatoes, The Original One!
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
