Mac and cheese but without the cheese? Here’s the recipe

Just had a meal that could be a game changer.

You know me, I'm a meat eater. Certainly not looking to add vegetarian meals to my regular diet, especially when I'm out to dinner at one of NJ's great Italian restaurants.

But this week, my friends at AMA Pizzeria in Hillsborough delivered a meal that was so delicious, I'm going to try to recreate it this weekend and either way, we will be back at AMA's in the next couple weeks.

I go for the homemade gnocchi served with braised short ribs that have just fallen off the bone. But we stayed for the "potato pasta" dish that the owners called "Pasta-Patane." It's essentially a mac-n-cheese dish with very little cheese. Wow. delicious.

I will let you know how the recreation goes, but here's the recipe as explained by the owner, my friend, Achille:

• Sauté white onion in a little oil and add in diced potatoes.
• Add some tomato paste as the potatoes soften.
• Then add water and get it boiling - a pound of pasta to four potatoes is the basic ration.
• Then over the hot dish, add in some Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.

My thinking is I could add a little Nduja topping and maybe roast some hot Italian sausage on the side. I'll let you know how it turns out. But in the meantime, get over to AMA and support this incredible small business in New Jersey. Here's a recipe I found online that seems to be closest to what Achille described.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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