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1
Put several cups of water in a pot on stove, and keep it at a simmer.
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2
Place olive oil in a large saucepan, and turn heat to medium.
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3
If you're using pancetta or bacon, add it to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly crisp, about 10 minutes.
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4
(If you are omitting the meat, proceed to the next step.)
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5
Add potatoes, garlic and chiles and raise the heat to medium-high.
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6
Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown all over, about 10 minutes.
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7
Add tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups of the simmering water, and bring to a boil.
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8
Turn heat down to medium-low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes and prevent sticking.
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9
While potato mixture is cooking, break long dried pasta, like spaghetti, into several lengths; place cut pasta, like ziti, in a bag, and break it up with the back of a pot or a hammer.
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10
After potato mixture has simmered for about 10 minutes, add pasta and plenty of salt and pepper to pot.
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11
Simmer, stirring and adding the simmering water as necessary; mixture should remain thick and stewy, never dry.
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12
When potatoes are tender and pasta quite tender this will take 20 minutes or more the dish is done.
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13
(It may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks; it's likely that you will need to add more liquid when you reheat.)
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14
Check the seasoning, and add some crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper or salt if needed.
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15
Serve hot, in bowls.
