Parmesan e Patate al forno (Good ol’ cheese and potato bake)

The weather was wet and windy here in Rome yesterday so comfort food was called for.  This is a simple, yet very tasty, dish that can be prepared in advance and thrown in the oven at the last moment.  Add some crusty bread, a green salad and, voila, Roberto’s your uncle.

Ingredients – serves four:

1 kg peeled potatoes, thinly sliced                           1 onion, finely sliced

100g pancetta or bacon                                          400ml chicken stock

200g mascarpone cheese or cream cheese             2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Handful of thyme, finely chopped                            50g parmesan cheese, finely grated

Salt and pepper

Method:

Put a layer of the potato slices in the bottom of a large baking dish (about 20 x 30cm).  Sprinkle with onion and pancetta.

Mix together the chicken stock, mascarpone, garlic and thyme to form a creamy sauce.  Pour enough sauce over the layer of potato, onion and pancetta to just cover them.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add another layer and cover with the creamy sauce again.  I usually get three layers.

Finish with the sauce, topped with parmesan cheese and plenty of black pepper.

Cook in a preheated oven 200C / Gas 6 for approximately 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked (a fork should slide in easily) and the cheese is golden brown.   Smells delicious and tastes even better!

And the thing I like best about this recipe?  If there are any leftovers – and I hide the dish halfway through dinner to make sure there are – I simply stick them into my blender with a little water, whizz it all up and reheat for the best soup ever for lunch the next day!   (I may have gone a bit crazy with the black pepper in case you’re wondering why the soup has freckles…)