FOOD NEWS
Gattò Di Patate Is The Italian Potato Pie You Should Know
BY JULIA HOLLAND
You may not think of potatoes as a go-to veggie in Italian cuisine, but many delicious dishes from the country feature this humble tuber, such as the potato pie gattò di patate.
Gattò is the Italian spelling of the French word "gâteau," meaning pie or cake. The dish dates back to 1768 in Naples, with the wedding of Neapolitan Archduchess Maria Carolina.
For the Archduchess' wedding, the Neapolitan high court brought a troupe of French chefs, who introduced sweet gâteaus that the Italians would later adapt into gattò di patate.
Made with eggs, mashed potatoes, butter, local Italian cheeses, and sometimes cured meats, gattò di patate is reminiscent of a frittata and a tortilla Española.
Like a Spanish tortilla, potatoes are the pie's main ingredient, but it's baked like a frittata. It's topped with breadcrumbs before baking for a golden, crispy topping.
Gattò di patate is baked inside a deep, round cake tin with a removable mold. First, a layer of mashed potatoes with eggs, butter, seasonings, and cheese goes into the dish.
This is followed by meltable Italian cheeses and cured meats. A thin layer of more mashed potatoes plus breadcrumbs goes on top before it's popped into the oven.
Common fillings include provolone, parmesan, romano, scamorza, and mozzarella cheese, as well as meats like salami, pepperoni, and mortadella.
Many recipes also add milk or cream to the potatoes for a creamier consistency. Some also include nutmeg, granulated garlic, and dried Italian herbs to round out the flavor.