Patate in Umido is a traditional Italian side dish from Rome and Tuscany.
Our easy Tuscan Potatoes recipe features tender chunks of potato braised in a simple passata tomato sauce that is flavoured with garlic, shallots, chili flakes, and fresh basil.
Serve this quick and easy potato side dish instead of pasta or risotto with your favourite Italian seafood, pork, chicken or beef dishes.
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What Is Patate in Umido?
Patate in Umido is a traditional Italian side dish popularly cooked in kitchens throughout Rome and nearby Tuscany.
The simple peasant dish is made with a combination of potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. The potatoes are cut into cubes and braised in a smooth passata tomato sauce until tender.
The spuds are cooked using a technique similar to risotto: liquid is incorporated in multiple additions. This concentrates flavours while using the potatoes’ natural starch to create a thickened sauce that clings.
We like the flavour of chicken broth, but you can make the dish vegetarian and vegan by substituting vegetable broth.
Some versions of this popular Tuscan Potatoes recipe feature more decadent ingredients like butter and fatty pancetta.
Serve with your favourite grilled seafood or meat dishes prepared with beef, pork or chicken.
Travel to Italy by Cooking Patate in Umido at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, France, Malta and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to Italy is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Volterra, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sorano, Montalcino, Siena) are unique from what you’d find in Venice, Modena, Milan, Rome and the Amalfi Coast.
Patate in Umido is a side dish unique to Tuscany and Rome so if you’re visiting the region on vacation be sure to order this famous potato recipe at a local restaurant.
Once back home from an Italian holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of Tuscany and can impress friends and family by making our authentic Patate in Umido recipe at home!
Where To Eat Tuscan Potatoes
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Italian restaurant that serves Patate in Umido.
Haven’t traveled to Italy before? It may be helpful to first sample Tuscan Potatoes at a local Italian restaurant to better understand how the side dish is served. You can assess the ideal texture of the potatoes, thickness of the tomato sauce, and complimentary dishes to serve at the table.
In Toronto, popular Italian restaurants in Yorkville, King West and Ossington that may serve authentic Tuscan Braised Potatoes include: Buca, Superpoint, Amano, Fabbrica, Oretta, FIGO, Nodo, Locale Mercatto, The Good Son, Taverna Mercatto, Ascari Enoteca, Il Fornello, Gusto 101 or Bar Vendetta.
My Family Loves Traditional Patate in Umido
I love cooking regional Italian dishes for my family and friends.
After researching the most romantic honeymoon in Tuscany I returned home excited to share my love of Patate in Umido with family.
I first made traditional Tuscan Potatoes on a cold winter day at our cottage in Muskoka. With a blizzard outside I kept cozy inside, simmering potatoes in tomato sauce while sipping fine Chianti wine.
I knew my family would enjoy this healthy Tuscan Potatoes recipe because they love spuds, healthy side dishes and authentic Italian food.
After placing steaming bowls of Patate in Umido on the table everyone smiled with glee after their first bites. We served the braised potatoes with grilled fish, barbecued steaks and rotisserie chicken.
Tuscan Potatoes Recipe Health Benefits
This simple Italian potato side dish is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Studies have linked potatoes to a variety of impressive health benefits, including improved blood sugar control, reduced heart disease risk and higher immunity.
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Chili has been proven to help reduce the duration of sickness, prevent heart disease, and promote weight loss.
The eugenol in basil can block calcium channels, which may help to lower blood pressure. The essential oils in the herb can help to lower your cholesterol and triglycerides. Basil also contains magnesium, which can help to improve blood flow by allowing muscles and blood vessels to relax.
Patate in Umido Recipe Cooking Tips
This homemade Tuscan Potatoes recipe is quick and easy to make at home.
- Use a large pot or Dutch Oven with a lid to braise the potatoes and avoid splatter when cooking.
- We use Yukon Gold potatoes when cooking this recipe but you can use white or yellow potatoes.
- We’ve used olive oil in this recipe but you can substitute with butter for a richer sauce.
- You can add additional flavour to the dish by adding chopped pancetta. A perfect addition for meat lovers that adds a desirable umami and salty flavour to the sauce.
- We’ve used shallots but you can substitute with Spanish cooking onions, white onions or sweet Vidalia onions.
- It’s easy to just add a bottle of smooth passata sauce to the pot, or you can blend fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes until smooth as a substitute.
- We’ve used chicken broth in this recipe but you can substitute for vegetable stock to make it vegetarian and vegan friendly.
- We’ve used fresh basil in this recipe but you can substitue with parsley if you prefer.
What To Serve With Patate in Umido
There’s nothing more comforting than cozying up to a bowl of homemade Tuscan Braised Potatoes.
This healthy side dish from Tuscany is best paired with seafood or meat dishes like grilled prawns or barbecued steak.
For a more substantial meal serve with a fresh salad like Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad, Roasted Beetroot Salad, Garlic Lemon Chickpea Avocado Salad and Fennel, Apple, Celery and Roasted Hazelnut Salad.
If you’re hosting an Italian-themed dinner party we suggest serving Tuscan Potatoes as part of a decadent buffet including other popular recipes like:
- Burrata Bruschetta Crostini
- Lumache Rigate Snail Pasta with Garlic Butter
- Creamy Saffron Tagliatelle Pasta with Ricotta and Mint
- Mafalda Pasta Noodles
- Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Gorgonzola Risotto al Radicchio
- Crispy Roast Chicken and Leek Risotto
- Sartu Di Riso Italian Baked Risotto
- Cheesy Polenta
- Involtini di Pollo
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
- Italian Prosecco and Gin Cocktail
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
You May Also Enjoy These Potato Recipes…
- Homemade Masala Chips
- French Mashed Potato Fritters
- Hovezi Gulas Traditional Czech Beef Goulash Stew
- Aloo Bharta Indian Style Mashed Potatoes
- Crispy Oven Roasted Cypriot Cyprus Potatoes
- Erdapfelsalat Viennese Warm Austrian Potato Salad
- Aguadito de Pollo Peruvian Chicken Soup
- Korean Breakfast Recipe Gochujang Baked Eggs & Potato
- Aloo Fry Vegetarian Indian Turmeric Potatoes
- Crispy Roasted Harissa Potatoes
- Culurgiones Sardinian Cheese & Potato Stuffed Pasta
- Tartiflette Reblochon
How To Make Authentic Patate in Umido
Patate in Umido Tuscan Braised Potatoes
Equipment
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Large pot or Dutch Oven
- vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 Large Shallots thinly sliced
- 4 Garlic Cloves chopped
- 2 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 14 oz Crushed Tomatoes or Passata
- 2.5 cups Chicken Broth
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher Salt + Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup Basil Leaves chopped
Instructions
- In a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat, combine the oil, shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring until the shallots begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring until the potato starch that coats the bottom of the pot starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken broth, pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then distribute the potatoes in an even layer. Cook, occasionally scraping along the bottom of the pot with a spatula and gently fold the mixture, for 10 minutes, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Add 1/2 cup of the remaining broth and cook, stirring for another 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of broth in 2 additions in the same way, cooking for only 5 minutes after the final addition and stirring gently so the potatoes don't break up. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Stir in half the basil, then taste and season with salt and black pepper. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and sprinkle with remaining basil.
Nutrition
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Just got to this recipe, made it for family and it was delicious.
Gma and Gpa especially liked.
Thank you for recipe
glad you enjoyed it!