Pizzoccheri are buckwheat tagliatelle, boiled in salted water with seasonal vegetables, then drained and dressed with generous amounts of cheese and melted butter infused with garlic cloves.
This dish is one of the most iconic specialties of Valtellina, once considered a prized meal in the traditional rural culture of the valley.
It brings together the most common ingredients of that time in a flavorful and aromatic combination.
Rich in animal fats—cheese, butter, or historically lard—it is a highly caloric dish, once ideal for the modest, energy-dense diets of the past.
300 g buckwheat flour
100 g white flour (plain flour)
300 g semi-hard cheese (e.g. Casera or similar)
100 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
250 g potatoes
400 g Savoy cabbage (or chard)
200 g butter
2 sage leaves
Garlic and onion (to taste)
Mix the two types of flour with water and knead the dough for about ten minutes.
Then, using a wooden rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1 cm, and cut it into tagliatelle about 7–8 cm long and less than 1 cm wide.
Cook the vegetables in boiling salted water: chop the cabbage into small pieces and the potatoes into cubes.
After 5 minutes, add the pizzoccheri to the pot.
Potatoes are always used, while the cabbage can be replaced—depending on the season—with Swiss chard or green beans.
After about 10 minutes, drain the pizzoccheri and layer part of them in a baking dish.
Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano and diced Casera cheese, then repeat the layers, alternating pizzoccheri and cheese.
In a separate pan, fry the butter with garlic and onion until golden and fragrant, then pour it over the pizzoccheri.
Mix gently and serve the pizzoccheri piping hot.
