PIZZOCCHERI

This is a traditional dish from Valtellina, a valley on the Italian Alps. It is typically eaten in winter and/or cold weather…. that’s why it is quite high on calories… but it is to die for!!!

Ingredients for 4 – 5people:

400 gms buckwheat flour
100 gms all purpose flour
150 gms butter
175 gms Valtellina Casera cheese (if you can’t get this, you can use Italian Fontina or Fontal)
150 gms Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano finly grated
200 gms Savoy cabbage
250 gms cubed potato
1 clove garlic
4 sage leaves
salt and pepper

Mix the two flours, add some water and knead for five minutes.
Roll the dough with a rolling pin until you get a 2-3 millimetres thick sheet from which you have to cut strips 7-8 centimetres wide.  Then put them one on top of  the other and cut again to obtain the pizzoccheri (short noodles half a centimetre wide).  This sounds a bit confusing… but it is quite simple… just look at this picture:

Cut the cabbage into pieces and cook it together with the cubed potatoes in salted boiling water.  After 5 minutes add the pizzoccheri and let cook for ten minutes.  In the meantime brown the butter with some garlic and 4 sage leaves.
Drain some pizzoccheri and vegetables with a skimmer and put them in a baking-dish.
Cover with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, slivers of Fontal cheese and a little bit of the melted butter, then put on another layer of pizzoccheri and vegetables, cheeses and butter.  Make as many layers as required.  Finish with a layer of cheeses and butter and serve hot with a dusting of pepper.

Manu

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