A twist on tradition: Potato noodles meet Italian sauces
Pasta made from boiled potatoes, commonly known as noodles, is immensely popular in Asian countries. However, it is not only delightful with spicy-sweet sauces based on sesame oil and soy sauce. You can also serve it with Italian tomato sauces. This is an unconventional combination, but my family prefers it to traditional spaghetti.
Asian-style noodle sauce
Below you'll find a recipe for noodles with Bolognese sauce. However, if you're in the mood for an Asian-style dinner, simply mix a few oriental ingredients in a pan. First, gently sauté the garlic with two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Remove the pan from the heat, add sliced spring onion stems, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of Chinese black vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar, and a tablespoon of chilli flakes. Mix this sauce with the potato noodles.
How to make potato noodles?
To prepare dinner for two, you'll need 500 grams of boiled and mashed potatoes. It's best to use Type C potatoes with a high starch content and creamy, crumbly flesh.
Ingredients:
- 500 grams Type C potatoes,
- 3 cups of potato starch,
- 125 millilitres of warm water,
- half a teaspoon of salt.
Instructions:
- Peel, wash, and boil the potatoes in salted water – you can use potatoes from yesterday's dinner. Mash them with a masher into a uniform mass.
- Knead with a small amount of warm water and potato starch. Gradually add water and starch until you achieve a smooth dough that you can shape into a ball.
- Break off pieces of dough and roll them into long ropes - slightly thicker than spaghetti
- Put the ropes into a pot of boiling salted water. Scoop them out when they float to the surface.
Recipe for Italian-style Bolognese sauce
The base of many Italian sauces involves garlic sautéed in olive oil and tomatoes. In season, use fresh, blanched tomatoes without skins. Out of season, add homemade purée, passata, or tinned tomatoes. Add the minced pork and beef to the aromatic garlic. Sauté until there's no more water. Add the tomatoes, mix everything, and reduce by cooking for about 5-8 minutes—season with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
You can sprinkle pasta with Bolognese sauce with grated Parmesan, fresh basil, or parsley.
