Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese Italian buckwheat pasta recipe.

Method17 steps · about 1 hr 40 min

1. 1

   Step 1: If making homemade pasta, use these flour, water and salt (½ teaspoon) ingredients instead of the purchased eleven ounces pasta. Sift the buckwheat and soft wheat flour into a bowl and mix in the measured half teaspoon salt. If using purchased pasta, skip steps 1–5.

   Uses 7 ounces buckwheat flour · 1½ oz Italian 00 soft wheat flour or all-purpose flour for the optional homemade pasta · ½ teaspoon salt

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the tepid water (4¾) into the flour with a fork. Knead with your hands until you have a ball of dough that does not stick to the bowl; add a little more water only if needed.

   Uses Optional homemade flour and salt mixture · 4¾ fluid ounces tepid water for the optional homemade pasta; a little more only if needed

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead until soft and pliable.

   Uses Optional homemade pasta dough · Extra soft wheat or all-purpose flour only as needed for the homemade worktop and tray

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Roll half the dough into a rectangle, trim crumbly edges and cut ribbons about 5 mm wide and 8 cm long. The source card says about 5 mm thick, while its full article says 2–3 mm and describes a 3:1 flour ratio that differs from its card quantities. These remain source concerns; no ratio correction is invented.

   Uses Soft homemade pasta dough

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Place the ribbons on a lightly floured tray and repeat with the remaining dough. Cook this entire fresh batch soon after making, instead of the purchased pasta.

   Uses Cut homemade pasta ribbons · Extra soft wheat or all-purpose flour only as needed for the homemade worktop and tray

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peeled small potato cubes and chopped greens with tough stalks removed; cook for five minutes before adding pasta.

   Vegetables before adding pasta · 5 minUses Water as needed to boil the potatoes, greens and chosen pasta · salt (for cooking and to taste) · 9 ounces waxy potatoes (peeled and cut into smallish cubes) · 7 ounces savoy cabbage or Swiss chard (cut into small pieces with any tough stalks removed.)

7. 7

   Step 7: After the five-minute vegetable head start, add either the purchased pasta or the complete homemade batch. The card gives a further ten minutes as a guide, but the full article says time depends on thickness and fresh versus dried pasta. Follow the chosen pasta directions, finishing with al dente pasta and tender potatoes.

   Pasta cooking source guide; check chosen pasta · 10 minUses Part-cooked potatoes and greens in salted water · Eleven ounces purchased pizzoccheri only if not making homemade pasta · Complete homemade pasta batch only instead of purchased pasta

8. 8

   Step 8: In the meantime, in a small pan, melt the butter (3.5 ounces) with the cloves of garlic (3) and cook until both the butter and the garlic are golden

   Uses 3.5 ounces unsalted butter · 3 garlic cloves, peeled

9. 9

   Step 9: Remove the garlic cloves and keep the browned butter ready until the pasta is cooked.

   Uses Golden garlic-infused browned butter

10. 10

    Step 10: Drain the pizzoccheri and vegetables and place half or one third of the mixture into an oven or serving dish (depending on the size and depth of your dish)

    Uses Fully cooked pizzoccheri, potatoes and greens

11. 11

    Step 11: Scatter a handful of the chopped cheese over the top and sprinkle with some of the grated cheese,

    Uses First drained pasta and vegetable layer · Small share of the whole-batch 9 oz Valtellina Casera, Bitto, Gruyere or Fontina cheese, cubed · Small share of the whole-batch 5 ounces Grana Padano (grated )

12. 12

    Step 12: Add more pizzoccheri and vegetables scatter again with the chopped and grated cheese

    Uses First cheese-covered pasta layer · Remaining drained pasta and vegetables · Small share of the whole-batch 9 oz Valtellina Casera, Bitto, Gruyere or Fontina cheese, cubed · Small share of the whole-batch 5 ounces Grana Padano (grated )

13. 13

    Step 13: Repeat until you have used all the vegetables and pizzoccheri and the cheese is uniformly distributed through and on top of the dish.

    Uses Partly layered pasta and cheese · Remaining cooked pasta and vegetables · Small share of the whole-batch 9 oz Valtellina Casera, Bitto, Gruyere or Fontina cheese, cubed · Small share of the whole-batch 5 ounces Grana Padano (grated )

14. 14

    Step 14: Pour over the frothy, browned butter

    Uses Completely layered pasta, vegetables and cheese · Reserved browned garlic butter with cloves removed

15. 15

    Step 15: Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper for the unbaked route. Alternatively continue to the following optional baked finish before serving.

    Uses Finished buttered pizzoccheri · Freshly ground pepper

    
16. 16

    Step 16: For the optional baked finish, use an oven-proof dish and a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven. Sprinkle the assembled buttered dish with optional extra grated grana and freshly ground black pepper.

    Uses Assembled buttered pizzoccheri in an oven-proof dish · Extra grated Grana Padano only for the optional baked finish · Freshly ground pepper

17. 17

    Step 17: Bake the prepared dish for about five to ten minutes, until the cheese on top begins to turn golden. Serve immediately. Skip this baking branch if serving directly from step 15.

    Optional golden cheese bake · 10 minUses Pizzoccheri prepared for optional baking