The Odd Couple

Pasta and potatoes? It just sounds wrong. Pasta or potatoes, maybe. That could be the choice of accompaniments in some funky Brooklyn steakhouse. But pasta with potatoes?

In this country we have this thing about starches--ingredients like noodles, potatoes, rice, beans and bread. We tend to regard them as being somehow less than real food. Starches are secondary, served alongside the real dish, to be eaten or picked at as you choose, but certainly not to be featured in any kind of meaningful way.

They are supporting actors. A baked potato sits quietly alongside every steak. There is probably no single more overlooked dish than the rice that comes with almost every Mexican entree. In fact, considering the flood of sauce that accompanies most American pastas, the same could be said about the spaghetti that is served under every mountain of meatballs.

But starches are worthy of respect on their own, demanding of and amply repaying close attention. In this recipe, for example, there are only two main ingredients, both of them starches, and the care with which each is handled determines the quality of the final dish.

Where to start? First, you must use boiling potatoes; bakers won’t hold their shape when mixed with the pasta. They need to be diced to a consistent size so they’ll cook evenly. They must be blanched before frying so the insides will be soft and creamy, but they must not be overcooked or they will fall apart and never brown.

Wait until the oil is fairly sizzling before adding them so the surface will seize and dry out without absorbing too much extra fat. Leave the cubes in one layer for a good five minutes before stirring so the browning process has a chance to start.

Match the size of the diced potatoes with the correct pasta shape. If you’re using a straight thin pasta, such as spaghetti, you can dice the potatoes very fine (shorten the cooking time appropriately). On the other hand, with a large shape like fusilli, you need to cut them in 1/2-inch dice to keep the potatoes from completely disappearing. Be sure to toss the pasta briefly in the hot pan alongside the potatoes. That momentary contact with the hot oil sets the outside of the noodle, making it just a little chewy and a more interesting contrast to the crisp exterior and fluffy interior of the potato.

Enough rules? Here are some more: Add the garlic only for the last five minutes and only after the heat has been reduced; if it scorches, it will ruin the dish. Be careful with the amount of rosemary you add. A little is a grace note; any more becomes overpowering; it’s an herb that quickly becomes pernicious.

Don’t be tempted to skimp on the oil. It’s necessary to carry the flavors to the pasta and, after all, how much can 1 tablespoon per person hurt?

Finally, this dish has to be eaten hot. When it cools, the pasta becomes tough, the potatoes flabby and the perfumed oil turns to grease.

And that would be the only time these starches should be ignored.

PASTA WITH POTATOES

1 pound large boiling potatoes, peeled

Salt

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound short dried pasta shapes, such as fusilli

3 tablespoons snipped chives

Cut potatoes into even 1/2-inch dice. Blanch in rapidly boiling, lightly salted water until just barely tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Fork should just penetrate cube when poked. Remove from water (keep water at boil), spread on tea towel and pat dry gently but thoroughly.

Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot but not smoking, add dried potato cubes in single layer and let cook without disturbing until slightly crusty and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir gently and cook another 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary, stir gently again and cook until all sides are crisp and lightly browned, about 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

After first turn of potatoes, add pasta to boiling water and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes depending on variety and shape.

When pasta is cooked, drain well and add to skillet with potatoes. Add chives and stir gently to mix well. Cook 1 more minute to combine flavors and serve.

6 servings. Each serving:

443 calories; 53 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.33 gram fiber.