Patate al forno (Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes) Recipe
It’s often the most obvious things that we overlook. And so I just realized that I’ve never blogged about patate al forno, Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes —without a doubt the most classic Italian contorno of them all. There’s no mystery about its popularity. It literally goes with any meat or fish main course, and it’s simplicity itself to make. For the basic recipe, you just mix up potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges, with olive oil, chopped garlic, rosemary leaves, salt and pepper, and then roast the wedges in a hot oven for 30 minutes or so until golden brown, tossing them from time to time so they cook evenly. It’s the essence of authentic Italian cooking: Utterly simple yet utterly delicious.
I first had this slightly dressed up version of Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes when I first visited Rome back in the 1970s. The Italian mamma who prepared this dish was an excellent cook—she made a mean penne all’arrabbiata, too—but of all the dishes she served that day, this one stood out. This version is equally at home for Sunday dinner, holidays or a dinner party.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
4-6 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Fruity, extra virgin olive oil
Salt and epper
2-3 cloves of garlic
A sprig of fresh rosemary, plus a few leaves
Directions
Peel and slice the potatoes as thinly as you can manage—if you have a mandolin, that would be perfect for the job. Make sure to immerse the potatoes in a bowl of water as you peel them, and slice them quickly, to avoid disclosing.
Just as soon as you’re done peeling and slicing, pat the potato slices dry with paper towels. In a large mixing bowl, dress the slices with generous amounts of olive oil, salt and pepper, along with a few rosemary leaves and one or two cloves of garlic which you will have minced as finely as possible. (Here’s one case when a garlic press comes in handy.) Set aside.
Take a large baking dish and rub the insides all over with the cut side of another clove of garlic which you will have sliced in half. Arrange the potato slices in the dish, partially overlapping the top layer of potato slices like roof shingles, in a decorative pattern in the dish: lined up in rows if your dish is square or rectangular, in concentric rings if it’s round. Add enough water to come up about half the height of the potatoes—it’s best to drizzle the water in at the sides of the dish so as not to displace the dressing. Drizzle the top of the potatoes with some more olive oil and sprinkle with some more salt. Finally, place a sprig of rosemary on top of the potatoes.
Roast the potatoes in a moderate (180C/350F) oven for about 45-60 minutes, until all the water has evaporated, the potato slices are soft inside and golden brown on top and around the edges. (Just how brown is a matter of taste—I like mine fairly lightly brown, as pictured.) If the potatoes are not brown enough for you, you can run them under the broiler for a minute or two, till they’re done to your liking. Remove the rosemary sprig and let the dish rest for a good 1o minutes or so before serving directly from the baking dish.
Notes on Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes
The potatoes you want when making Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes are the kind you would use for potato salad, with firm, yellow flesh—not the mealy kind you would use for mashing or for gnocchi. In North America, Yukon Golds, which fall under the ‘all purpose’ category, also make a fine choice. In Italy, potatoes are traditionally peeled, but very thin skinned, organic potatoes can be left unpeeled if you prefer. Also key to success is the olive oil, which—in my book—should be the intensely fruity extra virgin olive oil from southern Italy.
You will notice that I haven’t given many measurements here, because they’re just not necessary. But you’ll need to be generous with the seasonings when making Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes, especially the oil and salt. As you mix, make sure all the slices are well covered with the oil, as if you were dressing an Italian-style salad. Then give it a good pinch of salt, again all the slices should get a bit of seasoning. You can adjust the pepper to your taste. (Personally, I rather like pepper potatoes.)
Like many simple dishes, it’s the little things that make all the difference when making Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes. For best results, don’t layer the potatoes too deeply in the baking dish and make sure all the water has evaporated during roasting. Unlike the original less formal recipe, where you roast the potatoes in a hot oven for, say 20-30 minutes, in this upscale version it’s better to roast them longer but at moderate heat, as indicated above. This allows the top to brown nicely, but allows time for the lower layers to cook to tender. And since you’re serving directly from the baking dish, it also prevents excessive, unattractive spattering. But here’s the key step, one that too many people forget about: the rest before serving. This allows the oil to be absorbed back into the potatoes, making them unctuous and delicious. Otherwise, they’re get left behind in the pan. Your patate al forno will be less caloric, but it won’t be anywhere near as good.
Italians also prepare potatoes with the same flavorings in padella, or in a skillet. It’s equally as good, in my book, although oven-roasting does give them a special flavor.
Post Scriptum
Apologies to all you regular readers. As you might have noticed, I haven’t posted for a few weeks now. A nasty cold, business at the office and sundry social commitments have kept me out of the circulation—but now I’m back. Thanks so much for your patience and loyal readership!
Patate al forno (Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 4-6 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- Fruity, extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and epper
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- A sprig of fresh rosemary, plus a few leaves
Directions
Peel and slice the potatoes as thinly as you can manage—if you have a mandolin, that would be perfect for the job. Make sure to immerse the potatoes in a bowl of water as you peel them, and slice them quickly, to avoid disclosing.
Just as soon as you're done peeling and slicing, pat the potato slices dry with paper towels. In a large mixing bowl, dress the slices with generous amounts of olive oil, salt and pepper, along with a few rosemary leaves and one or two cloves of garlic which you will have minced as finely as possible. (Here's one case when a garlic press comes in handy.) Set aside.
Take a large baking dish and rub the insides all over with the cut side of another clove of garlic which you will have sliced in half. Arrange the potato slices in the dish, partially overlapping the top layer of potato slices like roof shingles, in a decorative pattern in the dish: lined up in rows if your dish is square or rectangular, in concentric rings if it's round. Add enough water to come up about half the height of the potatoes—it's best to drizzle the water in at the sides of the dish so as not to displace the dressing. Drizzle the top of the potatoes with some more olive oil and sprinkle with some more salt. Finally, place a sprig of rosemary on top of the potatoes.
Roast the potatoes in a moderate (180C/350F) oven for about 45-60 minutes, until all the water has evaporated, the potato slices are soft inside and golden brown on top and around the edges. (Just how brown is a matter of taste—I like mine fairly lightly brown, as pictured.) If the potatoes are not brown enough for you, you can run them under the broiler for a minute or two, till they're done to your liking. Remove the rosemary sprig and let the dish rest for a good 1o minutes or so before serving directly from the baking dish.
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http://memoriediangelina.com/2015/02/06/patate-al-forno-italian-oven-roasted-potatoes/
(c) Frank A. Fariello, Jr.
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