Pasta with Potatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• About 1/2 cup minced pancetta or bacon (optional)
• 3 to 4 potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 3 to 4 small dried hot red chiles or about 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
• One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, with juice
• About 1 1/2 pounds assorted leftover dried pasta
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Several cups of water, kept at a simmer in a pot or kettle

1. Put the olive oil in a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
2. If youre using pancetta or bacon, add it to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly crisp, about 10 minutes.
3. (If you are omitting the meat, proceed to the next step.)
4. Add the potatoes, garlic, and chiles and raise the heat to medium-high.
5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown all over, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
7. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes and prevent sticking.
8. While the potatoes are cooking, break long pasta, like spaghetti, into several lengths; place cut pasta, such as ziti, in a bag and smack it into pieces with the back of a pot or a hammer.
9. After the potatoes have simmered for about 10 minutes, add the pasta and plenty of salt and pepper to the pot.
10. Simmer, stirring and adding water as necessary the mixture should remain thick and stewy, never dry.
11. When the potatoes and pasta are both quite tender this will take 20 minutes or morethe dish is done.
12. Be careful not to cook the dish too dry.
13. If, at the last minute, the pasta has absorbed nearly all the liquid, stir in another cup or so of water and cook for a minute or two longer.
14. (It may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks; its likely that you will need to add more liquid when you reheat it.)
15. Check the seasoning and add some hot pepper, black pepper, and/or salt if needed.
16. Serve hot, in bowls.
17. After the potatoes begin to brown, add 1 to 2 cups chopped onion and cook, stirring, until it softens before proceeding.
18. Add small bits of cooked or raw meatup to 2 cups along with the potatoes.
19. Add chunks of carrot and/or celeryup to 2 cupsalong with the potatoes.
20. Cook a few stems of basil in the stew.
21. Remove before serving, then garnish with plenty of chopped fresh basil.
22. Serve with freshly grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
23. Or make Pasta and Potato Soup: Add 2 to 4 cups of water (or, much better, chicken stock) in step 5.
24. Heat and serve with a spoon.

olive oil, bacon, potatoes, garlic, hot red pepper, tomatoes, pasta, salt, water

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pasta-with-potatoes-386778 (may not work)