Torta di Patate

Potato Torte

Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds all-purpose potatoes
- Coarse-grained salt
- 2 tablespoons of Academia Barilla extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
- 3 ounces Academia Barilla Prosciutto di Parma, with all the fat left on, coarsely ground or cut into very small pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, about 8 ounces, cleaned and coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 extra-large eggs
- Freshly ground nutmeg to taste
- 1 cup freshly grated Academia Barilla Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 5 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only and finely chopped
- ¼ cup whole milk (if needed)

To Bake
- 4 tablespoons, 2 ounces, unsalted butter at room temperature
- About ½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs, lightly toasted, preferably homemade

To Serve
- Sprigs of Italian parsley

  Torta Di Patate is an authentic Italian recipe that delights the palate, from the region of Emilia-Romagna , namely along the border with Liguria , especially in the Apennines . This unique flavoring can be eaten accompanying various courses or as a light main course. This recipe along with many other authentic, yet innovative recipes can be found in Giuliano Bugialli's, Parma : A Capital of Italian Gastronomy.  

Boil potatoes with the skin left on in a medium sized pan of salted boiling water for about thirty minutes or until soft. Immediately peel potatoes and pass them through a potato ricer, fitted with the disk to the smallest holes, into a crockery or glass bowl.
Meanwhile, melt the Academia Barilla extra virgin olive oil and butter together in a medium sized pan, add the ground prosciutto and sauté for thirty seconds, mixing with a wooden spoon. Add onion and cook, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon until onion is translucent, about fifteen minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and use a tablespoon of butter to grease the bottom and sides of a 10 inch diameter spring form, and line it with bread crumbs. When onion is ready, add it with its juices to the bowl containing the diced potatoes. Mix very well; add the eggs and a pinch of nutmeg, then the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Mix very well with a wooden spoon until a very smooth soft paste forms. If the mixture is not very soft add a quarter of a cup of whole milk. Transfer the contents in the bowl to the prepared spring form and lightly level the top; sprinkle a little bit of the remaining bread crumbs over, then cut the remaining butter into pats arranging it all over.
Bake for about thirty-five minutes. The top should be lightly golden and the torte rather soft to the touch. Let the torte rest for a few minutes, then open the spring form, transfer the torte to a round serving platter and serve, warm or at room temperature after one hour, slicing it like a pie.
Serve with sprigs of Italian parsley. This torte still remains very good if served after a few hours.