Recipe for potato soup with macaroni
In truth however you really shouldn’t stress, as this recipe’s combination of potato chunks, small macaroni or tiny tubetti pasta and crunchy bacon bits creates a sumptuous, hearty dish that everyone should try at least once – whatever their dietary leaning. You wouldn’t think a recipe for potato soup would need pasta in there really, but I’ve long since given up questioning my Italian mamma-in-law’s cooking advice – I just watch, repeat, munch and enjoy. And it always works a treat. Serves 2-3 Ingredients: (For a printable PDF shopping list click here, or right-click and choose 'Save target/link as' to save for later.) 300g/10-11oz potatoes (any type – new, jacket etc.) 150g/5-6oz macaroni/tubetti/ditali (small) pasta 1 medium-sized onion (red or white) 1 stick of washed celery 1 medium-sized carrot 25g/1oz 'pancetta' belly-bacon bits (or chopped bacon strips) 400g/14oz tin plum tomatoes 50g/2oz parmesan cheese Extra virgin olive oil Salt Equipment Cheese grater Vegetable peeler STEP 1 - First, we have a little preparation to get the 3-veg sauce mixture started and the cheese grated. So… - Grate the parmesan and keep for later. - Peel and finely chop the carrot. - Remove the ends and finely chop the celery stalk. - Peel and finely chop the onion. Note: This 3-veg carrot/celery/onion mixture is a staple ingredient of many tomato-based pasta sauces. - If not done, peel the potato, then chop into small cubes. STEP 2 - Cover the base of your pan with olive oil and heat on a 70% hob. When the oil is hot…
- Stir and simmer for 2 mins, then use your hands to break 2 plum tomatoes into bits and add to the pan. - If you have it, slice off some parmesan rind (the outside) and add this (this is not to eat, just to add taste). STEP 3 - After five minutes of frying and stirring, add the potato cubes and add warm water until these are generously covered (you’ll also cook the pasta in this water). - Partially cover the pan (use your spoon to prop it slightly open) and cook the lot – stirring occasionally – until the potato is cooked soft.
STEP 4 - When the potato is soft, add a couple of teaspoons of salt and pour in the pasta. - Partically cover again and cook as per the pasta’s packet instructions. Stir often to avoid everything sticking to the pan. When the pasta is cooked as you like it, you’re done! To serve: Just sprinkle over some grated parmesan cheese and get munching.
Made too much? Then try this... - Cover the base of a small oven dish with half the remaining mixture. - Sprinkle over some ‘provola’ (this smoked mozzarella is available at most Italian delicatessens). - Add the remaining potato pasta mixture. - Sprinkle over a final parmesan layer and cook for 10 mins at 200ºC/390ºF. Nice – an easy baked pasta dish for next to nothing!
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- Add the 3 finely chopped veg, the bacon bits and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt.
Allow somewhere between 15-30 mins for this (depending upon potato type). 
