You'll love our Gattò di Patate recipe from Naples! Don't miss my family's authentic Italian mashed potato casserole made with salami, four kinds of Italian cheeses and bread crumbs. It's perfect for holidays, parties and Sunday dinners!
This will be one of the best dishes of your life. I grew up eating this cheesy potato casserole every 4th of July, plus at parties and Sunday dinners. I'm so glad I asked my Neapolitan mom how to make it!
In case you're wondering, "patate" (pah-TAH-tay) means potatoes in Italian. This Italian potato cake derives from the influence of French chefs who came to Naples in 1768 to cook for the wedding of the future Queen Maria Carolina.
The French word for cake is "gâteau." The Neapolitans changed the spelling to "gattò" (gah-TOH) and made this mashed potato cake their own. They added cured meats such as salami or ham and cheeses like mozzarella, scamorza, Parmesan and more.
Folks, you GATTÒ make this recipe! And you have to try these brown butter mashed potatoes!
Recipe ingredients
Potatoes: For the best, fluffy gattò, use russet potatoes, which are starchy. You could substitute Yukon Gold potatoes if needed, but they contain more moisture than russets. Don't use red potatoes, which are waxy, contain too much moisture and can produce a gummy result.
Egg: Adding one extra-large egg to three pounds of mashed potatoes will help provide a velvety texture and firm up the Italian potato pie. Since we're baking this in a 9x13 pan, no additional eggs are needed. Gattò baked in a springform pan like a cake would require more eggs for a stiffer result.
Salami: Use Genoa salami, preferably uncured and nitrate-free (affiliate link), with fewer additives. Genoa salami contains peppercorns and has a garlicky flavor. Its soft texture is perfect in this mashed potato casserole.
If needed, you could substitute hard salami, which is firmer, drier and smokier. We use it in our casatiello bread.
Smoked Mozzarella or Smoked Scamorza: In Naples, smoked scamorza is often used in gattò. Look for it in Italian import stores, or use smoked mozzarella, which is similar.
Mozzarella: Get a block of plain, firm mozzarella or use the fresh kind. You also could use provolone or plain scamorza. Don't buy pre-shredded cheese, because it won't melt as smoothly.
Bread Crumbs: My mom always used homemade Italian bread crumbs in this dish, but feel free to buy plain bread crumbs. You'll season them according to the recipe instructions at the end of this post. If you only have store-bought Italian bread crumbs, you can skip adding seasonings to the bread-crumb mixture.
Parmesan & Pecorino Romano: A 50-50 combination of freshly grated Parmesan and Pecorino brings a salty, cheesy accent to the bread crumb exterior. The cheese also helps the topping to brown nicely in the oven.
How to make gattò di patate
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Make the mashed potato mixture
You'll need a potato masher (affiliate link) for the best results. If you use a potato ricer, you'd need to add extra butter and milk so the casserole won't be dry.
- Rinse, peel and boil the potatoes with garlic cloves until fork-tender.
- Mash the potatoes with butter. Mix in warmed milk and seasonings.
- Beat the egg and mix it in.
- Mix in salami and mozzarella.
Assemble the casserole
- Combine the seasonings, Parmesan, Pecorino and bread crumbs.
- Use half a cup of the bread crumb mixture to coat the bottom of a buttered 9x13 baking pan.
- Spread the potato mixture over the bread crumb layer.
- Melt butter and mix it into the remaining bread crumb mixture.
- Spread the buttered bread crumbs on top of the mashed potatoes and bake until golden.
Recipe tips
- Boiling the potatoes with a couple of garlic cloves and then mashing them together brings delicious flavor.
- Warming the milk makes it easier and quicker to blend into the potatoes. Overmashing can make the potatoes gummy.
- Mixing the melted butter into the bread-crumb mixture for the topping produces an evenly browned surface that's not dry.
What to serve with it
This Italian mashed potato pie goes perfectly with meats like ribeye steak, boiled corned beef and Parmesan pork chops. Include a side of broccoli with garlic and lemon or steamed corn on the cob for a delicious meal.
Frequently asked questions
For the best texture and taste, reheat Gattò Di Patate in the oven or on the stove. Using the microwave ruins the texture and taste.
Oven: Reheat the Italian gattò at 350 degrees F, covered. Start with 15 minutes and see if it needs more time.
Stovetop: Place slices of the casserole in a skillet over medium-low heat and cover the pan with a lid. Heat the potatoes for 10 minutes or until they're warmed through.
Yes, you can freeze gattò, since this Italian mashed potato casserole has a high fat content. Freeze it after it has cooled off from baking. Cut it into portions and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to two months.
Thaw the frozen gattò in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it in the oven or on the stove, as described in the previous section.
More potato recipes to try
- Italian-Style Roasted Potatoes
- Italian Green Bean and Potato Salad
- Baked Sliced Potatoes and Onions
- The Best Scalloped Potatoes without Cheese
- American Potato Salad with Eggs
Enjoy!
If you try this Gattò di Patate recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Gattò di Patate
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 pounds potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup milk + 2 TBS (2% is fine.)
- 1 extra-large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces mozzarella, shredded (or scamorza)
- 4 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded (or smoked scamorza)
- 2 ounces Genoa salami (Buy it sliced. See notes.)
Bread Crumb Mixture
- ¾ cup plain bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons butter (to grease the baking pan)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
Mashed Potato Mixture
- Rinse and peel the potatoes. Quarter the potatoes (cut them in half, then in half again). Cut the quarters in half again if they are large. Place the potato chunks into a large pot (6 quarts).
- Add cold water to the pot, enough to cover the potatoes by one inch. (Starting with cold water instead of hot helps the potatoes cook evenly throughout.)
- Place the pot over high heat on your stove. Add two teaspoons of salt to the water. Peel the garlic cloves, cut off the hard edges and add the cloves to the pot. Cover the pot, set a timer for 25 minutes, and let the pot come to a boil, making sure to remove the lid when the water is simmering, so the pot doesn't boil over. The potatoes are done when you can easily insert a fork in them; mine take 25-30 minutes, but it will depend on the size of your potato chunks. You will need to drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink when they are done cooking.
- While the potatoes are cooking, shred the mozzarella and smoked mozzarella. Cut the salami into 1-inch pieces. Make the bread crumb mixture (see below.)
- When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and return them (and the two boiled garlic cloves) to your large pot. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add six tablespoons of butter to the pot of potatoes and mash them with a potato masher. (I don't recommend using a ricer. See notes.) Add the milk to a microwave-safe measuring cup. (Use ½ cup + 2 tablespoons.) Warm up the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, just until it's warm, not hot.
- Add the warmed milk to the potatoes, mashing and gently stirring to blend. Don't overmash them. Crack the egg into a cup or small bowl and beat it with a fork. Pour the beaten egg into the potatoes and add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine. The mixture should be smooth, with no lumps.
- Stir in the salami, shredded mozzarella and smoked mozzarella.
Bread Crumb Mixture & Assembly
- Add the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Pecorino, dried basil, pepper and salt to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with about two teaspoons of butter. (You can hold a stick of butter and rub it all over the bottom and sides of the pan.)
- Place ½ cup of the bread crumb mixture into the greased pan. Tilt and shake the pan to distribute the crumbs to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the mashed potato mixture to the pan. Spread it evenly on top of the bread crumb coating.
- Melt four tablespoons of butter in a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. (Place it in the microwave, lightly covered with wax paper, and heat it for 30 seconds, then an additional 20 seconds or more as needed.)
- Stir the melted butter into the remaining bread crumb mixture. When the crumbs are evenly coated, place them on top of the potato casserole. Use a silicone spatula to spread the crumbs evenly over the entire surface.
- Bake the gattò, uncovered, on the center rack for 25-30 minutes or until the top is crispy and golden brown, and the potatoes are bubbly. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before slicing it.
- Refrigerate leftovers, tightly covered, for up to four days. To reheat, it's better to use the oven or a pan on the stove instead of the microwave. (See notes.)
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. Adapted from my mom's description of how to make this. She didn't give me any measurements!)
Doris says
Hello there Mamma C!
Hope you are doing well and healed from your surgery. You know, I am Italian (Neapolitan like your Mom) and we ate at my Aunt Jessie's every Easter. I don't recall her ever making this but I will certainly try for my dinner at Easter. It sounds delish and I wanted to ask you if I could use provlone in place of the smoke mozzarella. I am sure this will become a family favorite for all holidays. Thanks for posting this recipe. Be well, Doris
Mamma C says
Hi Doris - You can definitely use provolone. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for your well wishes. I'm feeling much better and working on building strength. xo
Cheryl Usalis says
can you make this the day before and then bake the day of the party?
I'm thinking of making this for Easter.
Mamma C says
Hi Cheryl - Yes, you can assemble it, cover and refrigerate it, then bake it the next day. Take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you bake it. It would be great for Easter!