Italian dishes featured: pasta with potatoes & provola and affogato dessert

A Naples‑style recipe called pasta e patate con provola combines mixed pasta, potatoes, smoked provola (or mozzarella), pancetta or guanciale, tomato concentrate and grated Parmesan rind. The dish dates back to the 17th century and exemplifies the "cucina povera" tradition of creating hearty meals from inexpensive, local ingredients.

The affogato dessert consists of a single scoop of vanilla gelato (or fior di latte) “drowned” in a fresh shot of hot espresso. Legends link its origin to a 17th‑century Franciscan monk, while its modern popularity grew in the 1950s and spread internationally in the late 20th century. It is praised for its simplicity—only two ingredients—and the contrast between hot, bitter coffee and cold, sweet ice cream.