Potato Cake

The potato cake is a comforting and versatile dish, which can be enjoyed as a main course or as a side dish. Below you will find the recipe for the potato cake in the Italian style.

Ingredients

• 1 kg potatoes
• 100 g grated Parmesan
• 100 g sweet provola (or other string cheese)
• 2 eggs
• 100 g Milano or Napoli salami (optional)
• 30 g butter
• Breadcrumbs as needed
• Salt and pepper as needed
• Grated nutmeg (optional)
• Chopped parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into pieces. Then, cook them in boiling salted water until they are soft.
2. Once cooked, drain them well from the water and mash them until you obtain a purée. Let cool slightly.
3. Add the eggs, Parmesan, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste to the mashed potatoes. If you like, you can also add some chopped parsley for a touch of freshness.
4. Cut the string cheese and salami into small cubes and incorporate them into the potato mixture.
5. Butter a baking dish and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs, then pour the potato mixture inside. Level the surface with the back of a spoon and sprinkle the surface with a few knobs of butter and a little more breadcrumbs.
6. Bake the potato cake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 30-40 minutes or until the surface is golden and crispy.
7. Once cooked, let it cool slightly for a few minutes before serving.

Trivia

The potato cake can be customized in many ways; for example, you can add vegetables like spinach or peppers to enrich the dish. Additionally, in some regions of Italy, slices of cured meats like pancetta or prosciutto are added. In doing so, the potato cake can become a very tasty and substantial single dish.