Pasta with Potatoes, Provola and Artichokes

Method

1. Clean the artichokes: remove the tough outer leaves, cut in half, remove the inner choke (the 'beard'), and place them in water with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. Prepare the soffritto: in a large pot, heat a generous amount of olive oil. Add finely diced celery, onion, and carrot, along with a sprig of rosemary and a bay leaf. Cook on low heat until the onion becomes translucent.
3. While the soffritto cooks, cut the potatoes into very small cubes.
4. Slice the cleaned artichokes into thin strips.
5. Once the soffritto is ready, add the potatoes and artichokes to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
6. Crush the tomatoes by hand (pummarola style) and add them to the pot. Stir to combine.
7. Add the uncooked ditalini rigati pasta directly into the pot. Also add a piece of hard cheese rind (e.g., from pecorino or parmesan) for flavor.
8. Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaf before continuing.
9. Cook the pasta like a risotto: add ladles of boiling salted water whenever the mixture becomes dry. Continue until the pasta is tender and the sauce is creamy.
10. Turn off the heat, remove the cheese rind, and add the provola cheese cut into pieces. Cover the pot and let it melt for 2–3 minutes, then stir vigorously to incorporate.
11. Serve immediately, optionally topped with fried artichoke hearts.