This rich and fluffy potato dish takes its name from the French word gâteau, but to me it is quite Italian, layered with cheese, like a pasticiatta or lasagna. It is a great dish for large gatherings: all the goodness of mashed potatoes with an Italian twist.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 4 1/2 pounds baking potatoes

　　8 ounces (2 sticks or 16 tablespoons) butter, or more as needed

　　1/2 cup hot milk

　　3 large eggs

　　2 egg yolks

　　2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt

　　1 1/4 cups freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

　　1/2 cup bread crumbs

　　1 pound fresh fiore di latte mozzarella, in 1/2-inch cubes

　　

Recommended Equipment

A wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan or high-sided sauté pan, 5-quart capacity or larger

　　A potato ricer

　　A baking dish or shallow casserole, 9 by 13 inches or similar size

　　

Step 1

Cook the potatoes, whole and in their skins, in a large pot with plenty of water to cover, until they are cooked through and easily pierced but still intact. Drain the potatoes, and peel them while hot.

　　

Step 2

Put 6 ounces of the butter (1 1/2 sticks) in the heavy pan, and set it over low heat. Rice the potatoes directly into the pan as the butter melts. Stir the mound of riced potatoes vigorously to blend them with the butter, then stir in the hot milk. Beat the eggs and yolks together, and blend into the potatoes along with the salt. Finally, sprinkle 1 cup of the grated cheese on top of the potatoes, and incorporate thoroughly.

　　

Step 3

Heat the oven to 375˚. With some of the remaining butter, grease the insides of the baking dish well, then coat the bottom and sides with 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Spread half of the whipped potatoes in the dish in a smooth layer, distribute the cubed mozzarella evenly on top, then cover the cheese with the rest of the potatoes, spread smooth.

　　

Step 4

Toss the remaining bread crumbs and grated cheese together, and sprinkle on top of the potatoes. Melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter (or get some more), and drizzle it all over. Cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil, pressed against the sides to seal the gattò, and place it in the oven.

　　

Step 5

Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and bake another 20 minutes, or until the top is crisp and nicely colored. Cut portion-sized squares in the hot gattò and lift out with a spatula, keeping the layers of potato and cheese intact.

　　From Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Copyright (c) 2007 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York.