Pasta with Potatoes and Provola

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 60°C (140°F) with fan if available.
2. To prepare the confit tomatoes: cut the Piennolo tomatoes in half. Arrange on a baking tray. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt, add lemon zest, orange zest, garlic cloves, oregano, rosemary, and a drizzle of honey (optional). Bake for about 2 hours until the tomatoes are dry and concentrated.
3. For the pasta: finely chop celery, carrot, and onion to make a soffritto.
4. Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a large casserole or pot. Add the soffritto and sauté until softened.
5. Peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pot and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the anchovies from Cetara (a generous amount) and let them melt into the oil, stirring.
7. Make a small incision in some additional whole Piennolo tomatoes and add them to the pot. Cook briefly.
8. Add the mixed pasta and pour in hot broth to cover everything. Cook like a risotto, stirring often and adding more broth as needed to keep it creamy and moist.
9. Season with salt (go easy because of the anchovies) and abundant black pepper.
10. When the pasta is almost al dente, add the provola cheese in pieces and stir until it melts and becomes stringy. Remove from heat and let it rest for a minute.
11. Serve the pasta in a bowl. Top with the confit tomatoes, a few fresh herbs (if desired), a drizzle of olive oil, and a final sprinkle of black pepper.