Step 1

Place potatoes in casserole with cold water and salt, bring to boil and cook.
When ready, peel potatoes and mash them immediately while still hot. Add diced ham, parsley, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt and pepper to the mixture.

Step 2

Butter a baking tray with high edges, sprinkle breadcrumbs in it.

Step 3

Pour potato mixture in baking tray and level it out evenly.

Step 4

Sprinkle breadcrumbs over it, in oven at 200°C.

Step 5

Remove from oven when the surface is crispy and golden.

Chef's Tips

If possible, never use spring potatoes, which have a high water content and would not produce good results. Once baked, do not cut immediately. Wait until the potatoes have cooled a little so that it is easier to cut it up into pieces.

Food History

Gattò is a type of potato pizza that is made with all the most common ingredients in Neapolitan cooking. It is said that the dish was created in 1786 for the arrival in Naples of the new queen Marie Caroline, queen Marie Antoinette’s sister.
Although the name for this dish comes from the French term for cake or gateau, this potato-based dish was most definitely invented in the capital of the Neapolitan kingdom.

After moving to Naples, the Queen introduced French traditions and cuisine, including the custom of placing top-level chefs – monsieurs in French, monzù in Neapolitan – in the kitchen. Thanks to the connections between southern Italian and French cuisines, Naples became an important dining destination in Europe. The local cuisine was enriched by the cultural exchange, which gave life to many original dishes with French-sounding names.

Other suggested recipes

• Focaccia with potatoes
• Potato Tart
• Omelet with potatoes and onion