Rusty Pasta

Pasta Rustida

Pasta and potatoes sautéed with onion, pancetta, butter and mountain cheese: a warm and tasty Friulian dish.

4 servings

Easy

Friuli Venezia Giulia

EasyFriuli Venezia Giulia

Pasta Rustida is a first course hearty, designed to be served piping hot and enjoyed as soon as it's cooked. The pasta meets the softness of the potatoes, the flavor of the pancetta and the full character of the mountain cheese, while the golden onion adds a sweet and aromatic note. The consistency is central: the ditalini they must remain very al dente, the potatoes are tender but whole, and the cheese softens during the final stir-fry without turning the dish into a uniform cream. The shared cooking of the pasta and potatoes creates a simple base, which is then completed by browning in skillet, where butter, pancetta and onion blend together and envelop every bite. Pasta Rustida is part of the traditional cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Instructions

Voice reading

7 steps · natural Italian voice

Prepare potatoes and onion

Cut the potatoes into thin slices or evenly diced pieces so they cook evenly with the pasta. Slice the onion and keep it ready for browning. Reduce the heat. pancetta diced onion and diced mountain cheese, preparing all the ingredients before lighting the fire.

Cook pasta and potatoes

Bring to a boil plenty of salted water and pour together the ditalini and the potatoes. Keep a steady boil and cook until the pasta is very tender. al dente and the potatoes are tender when tested with a fork, without falling apart completely.

Season as soon as they are drained

Drain the pasta and potatoes thoroughly al dente, draining the cooking water thoroughly. Transfer them to a bowl and immediately season them with some of the butter and cheese, mixing gently: the seasoning must coat the pasta and prevent the ditalini they stick together.

Brown the onion

Melt the butter in a skillet wide and add the sliced onion. Make it gently sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft and golden. Check the color carefully: the onion should be fragrant and amber-colored, without burning or becoming bitter.

Brown the pancetta

Add the onion to the pancetta cut into cubes and brown it in the same skilletStir to distribute the heat and continue until the cubes become golden and slightly crispy, while the bottom is enriched with their aroma and the released fat.

Skip pasta and potatoes

Transfer to the skillet the pasta and potatoes already seasoned. Raise the heat slightly and sauté them with the onion and pancettaStir to combine the seasoning without breaking the potatoes. The dish is ready for the next step when it's piping hot and evenly flavored.

Vigorously stir with cheese

Add plenty of diced mountain cheese and sauté briefly again. The heat from the pasta should begin to soften it and make it stringy, without drying out the dish excessively. Serve immediately, while the cheese is soft and the dish is still piping hot.

Chef's Tips

School i ditalini Very al dente and season them immediately with butter and cheese: they will maintain the right consistency during the final jump in skillet.