Austro-Hungarian recipe with an Unconventional combination – a sweet nostalgic Schmalz post!
Another brilliant recipe from Austro-Hungarian cuisine – Kartoffeln mit Nudeln – potatoes with pasta!
Yes, you read right! In this recipe, you mix two types of carbohydrates with two kinds of starch!
I first had this strange dish in Lignano, a charming resort town on the Adriatic coast. I was invited by acquaintances from Vienna who, for years, used to spend the summer there in one of the apartment hotels along the beach.
I do not look back and mourn youth; I think we usually improve over the years and become the ‘best version of ourselves.’ But when it comes to nostalgia, it’s a different story!
Although we have a fantastic beach in Israel, the images of my Italian vacation in the late seventies are deeply seared in my memory.
In the pre-Walkman era, time flowed leisurely on that warm beach, and people walked around there as if they had no existential concerns. Occasionally, someone would throw a coin into the jukebox and choose a popular song; Keith Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ was a huge hit back then.
It was just like the song Yesterday Once More by the Carpenters! And to think that at that time – I would sit close to the radio or the jukebox, waiting for my favorite songs!
There was also the Coconut Man, who announced: “Hallo Cocco Bello!” I can still hear his voice, ‘playing in Italian!’ And, of course – the announcement on the loudspeaker inviting you to visit the ‘Terrace a Mare’ cafe.
So in the morning, we sunbathed and enjoyed the music of the Italian language and the one that came out of the machine. In the evening, we went to the city center: my rich girlfriends raided the brand stores – while I stared, with eyes wide-open at Gucci, Bruno Magli, Dior, and Vitton, in addition to the hunks dressed in jeans, Lacoste, ‘Fruit of the Loom’ etc.
During lunch breaks, we had delicious meals. One of them was, you guessed right – Kartoffeln Mit Nudeln which was no less than a culture shock to me! Almost as breaking a taboo or a prohibition from the Torah! But wow, what a delicious “sin” it was! And to think that initially, this dish was considered poor people’s food!
This dish marks another turning point: it’s the first recipe for which I made a video by myself (to be published soon). For this festive occasion, I purchased a small Kitchen Island, which I placed in the center of the living room, and turned it into my studio! I’m so excited❣
So make it – and maybe you too will be able to hear in its DNA the ‘Hallo Cocco Bello‘❣
- 500 gram Tagliatelle penne, or rigatoni
- 500 gram potatoes
- 2 large onions
- 170 gram oyster mushrooms optional, by taste
- 4 tsp oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoon paprika
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- salt by taste
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters or eighths – depending on the size of the potatoes or according to personal preference. Bring to a boil in salted water, lower the heat, and cook for about twenty minutes until the potatoes are soft but not too much.
- At the same time, cook the tagliatelle in salted water according to the instructions printed on the package. (tagliatelle is thinner than fettuccine).
- Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok and fry the onion until translucent. Add minced garlic, Tear oyster mushrooms into 2 or 3 pieces, and add to onions. Saute them for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Mix in paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Drain the pasta, drizzle a few drops of oil, mix, and transfer to the pan. Drain the potatoes, add to the pan, and mix. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Divide into portions, sprinkle with chopped parsley or green onion, and serve.
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