Neapolitan pasta with potatoes con provola (provolone)

The classic Neapolitan pasta e patate e provola – short Gragnano pasta cooked with potatoes, pancetta and melted provola.

Ingredients

320 g	Gragnano short pasta, bronze drawn if you can
800 g	potatoes (not new potatoes)
40 g	extra virgin olive oil (a fragrant, light Cilento oil)
200 g	provola
100 g	pancetta
6	piennolo cherry tomatoes (just for color)
3	basil leaves
1	celery stalk
1	white onion
1 clove	garlic
to taste	Parmesan cheese
to taste	black pepper
to taste	salt

Ingredients for 4 people with a medium appetite.

Note: add the provolone (provola) at the END.

Fry the finely chopped onion with the celery and minced garlic in a fairly deep pot in extra virgin olive oil. Fry, taking care not to burn the onion.
Add the potatoes previously cut into chunks – not too big, but not too small, because they should not lose consistency. Add the pancetta (bacon) cut into small pieces.
Cook for a few minutes, making sure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
When the potatoes are half cooked, add the cherry tomatoes cut into pieces – which only serve to give a little color to the dish – salt, pepper and continue cooking, stirring. Add the chopped basil leaves.
When the potatoes are cooked, add water to cook the pasta. The first few times add a small quantity, adding more if necessary. Bring to a boil, and add another bit of salt if necessary.
Throw in the pasta and cook while stirring constantly. Keep in mind that Gragnano durum wheat pasta, especially if it is bronze drawn, has a long cooking time, but always al dente.
Turn off the heat and add the provola cut into small pieces, stirring until it is spot on, i.e. melted.