The disagreement started once we saw all those new Olive Garden commercials doing it. Her point is that nothing is going to taste great with the same thing used twice in a dish. I say differently. Like if you add a good Italian sauce or something and use rigatoni noddles.
More combined starches: Verheiratete (German, something like “married couple”) are a kind of dumplings with potatoes together with diced fried bacon. One of my favourite local foods.