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SugarLoveSpices

Published: Jan 14, 2021 · Modified: Jan 14, 2021 by Nicoletta · 21 Comments

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)

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Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri). Pizzoccheri is a buckwheat pasta dish from Valtellina, in the Lombardy region, near the Swiss border. It is a hearty dish made with buckwheat noodles (called tajarid in the local dialect), potatoes, Savoy cabbage, and plenty of cheese and butter. It is that kind of comfort, substantial, food suitable for winter.

Song of the day: Feels Like Home - Grace Kelly, Elliott Skinner

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-plated-with fork

This traditional pasta dish is a complete meal that will transport you to the mountains of Northern Italy. Imagine yourself in a cozy chalet, on a cold snowy day, enjoying a warm plate of Pizzoccheri (remember, the letters /ch/ in Italian sound like /k/). The heartiness of the buckwheat pasta perfectly mingled with the softness of the vegetables and the lusciousness of the butter and cheese will make you feel like you've been snuggled in a blanket.

 

The buckwheat noodles

Tajarid (how they're called in the local dialect) is the noodles that are part of the Pizzoccheri dish. An eggless fresh pasta, made with a combination of buckwheat and white flour (4 parts of buckwheat and 1 part of white flour), and water. They are an IGP Italian product, meaning that their quality and other characteristics are linked to their geographical origin. Their full name is in fact 'Pizzocccheri della Valtellina' because that is the area of origin, a mountainous region that is known for its plethora of buckwheat fields. In fact, buckwheat is a staple of the local cuisine.

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-hands on pasta dough on wood board

Making the homemade pasta

  • Mix the flours and add to a large bowl, make a well in the center and add the water. Slowly incorporate the water into the flour, mixing with a fork or your hands until a dough starts to come together. After, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured wood board and knead until you get an elastic and smooth dough, adding flour if sticking, or drops of water if too dry.

Rolling and cutting

  • Divide the dough into pieces. Then, with a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough to a rectangle about 2-3 mm thick and cut into strips of about 7-8 cm. Overlap 2 strips at a time and cut them lengthwise, obtaining about 5mm-wide noodles. Sprinkle them with a little flour and place on a floured baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is finished.

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-hands cutting pizzoccheri pasta on wood board

Normally, egg pasta dough is rolled quite thin, these buckwheat noodles, on the contrary, must be a little thicker, about 3 mm; the lack of gluten in the buckwheat flour means that if they are too thin, they will easily break up.

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-hands on pizzoccheri pasta on a baking sheet  

Co-stars to the buckwheat noodles

In essence, this dish requires a great accompaniment to the noodles that is composed of:

  • Savoy cabbage
  • potatoes
  • Parmigiano or Grana Padano
  • Fontina cheese (traditionally a local cheese is used, called Casera)
  • butter, garlic, and sage leaves

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-mise en place on a wood board

One pot cooks it all

  • Cook the diced potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes. Then, add the Savoy cabbage and cook for 3 minutes. Next, add the noodles to the same pot and cook for about 10 more minutes. In the meantime, have ready a pan with butter, garlic, and sage leaves. The sage leaves are not in the traditional recipe, although they add a great flavor.

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-boiling the cabbage in a pot-making butter and sage in a pan

Assembly

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and place an oven-safe dish in the oven to warm it up. Then, when the noodles are cooked, drain them well with a skimmer together with the vegetables.
  • Place a layer of the mixed noodles/vegetables in the warm dish, add some of the diced cheese and grated Parmigiano. Repeat layering until you finish all the ingredients.
  • Next, place the dish in the oven and bake for a few minutes just until the cheese melts and creates a lovely crispy top.
  • In the meantime, heat up the butter with the garlic and sage leaves on medium/high until it gets golden brown. Remove the garlic. 
  • Finally, take the dish out of the oven and pour the brown butter over the Pizzoccheri.
Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-first layer of pasta in the pot
Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-topping first layer with cheese
Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-topping with cheese-butter and sage in a bowl on the side
Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-prep-adding butter and sage to the pot of pasta

Brown butter, hazelnut butter, beurre noisette

A very important ingredient in the dish is brown butter (or beurre noisette, hazelnut butter) which is nothing more than butter, cooked in a pan until it turns golden brown and results in a delightful (hazel)nutty flavor. Specifically, the copious amount of brown butter used for this dish is flavored with garlic and sage and it is poured over the final dish. TIP: It is best to use a European-style butter with higher fat content.

After a gentle toss, we are ready to serve this Pizzoccheri.

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-in the pan-tossing with fork and spoon

In detail, pizzoccheri is the name of the finished dish, but even in Italy, many tend to use the word pizzoccheri for both the finished dish and the pasta itself. 

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-plate with fork-pan in background

Italian comfort food at its best!

When we say Italian comfort food we mostly think of  Pasta al Forno, Lasagna, etc. But I bet you never would have thought of this Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri). Your first bite in is going to reveal the wonderful texture of the pasta that has a beautiful nuttiness to it. 

The supporting ingredients come to really highlight this pasta with the cabbage offering that sweet earthy smoothness and the potatoes the luxury of fluffiness and starch. More so the brown butter sauce with the garlic and sage is the icing on the cake that brings everything together in such a rich and balanced affair! Even the next day warmed up in a pan gave us an end result of incredible flavor and texture, furthermore, adding in those crispy bits, that I know we all so love!

Enjoy!

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Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-plated-with fork

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)


★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

  • Author: Nicoletta
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Description

Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri). Pizzoccheri is a buckwheat pasta dish from Valtellina, in the Lombardy region, near the Swiss border. It is a hearty dish made with buckwheat noodles, potatoes, Savoy cabbage, and plenty of cheese and butter.


Ingredients

Scale

For the pasta

  • 200 g buckwheat flour
  • 50 g farina 00 (or all-purpose flour)
  • 125 g water

For the accompaniment

  • 100 g Savoy cabbage
  • 125 g potatoes
  • 40 g Parmigiano or Grana Padano, grated
  • 100 g Fontina cheese
  • 80 g unsalted butter
  • 1 clove garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 2-3 sage leaves (optional, but good)

Instructions

For the pasta:

  1. Mix the flours and add to a large bowl, make a well in the center and add the water. Slowly incorporate the water into the flour, mixing with a fork or your hands until a dough starts to come together. After, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured wood board and knead until you get an elastic and smooth dough, adding flour if sticking or drops of water if too dry.
  2. Divide the dough into pieces. Then, with a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm and cut into strips of about 7-8 cm. Overlap 2 strips and cut them lengthwise, obtaining about 5 mm wide "tagliatelle". Repeat until you've used all the dough. Sprinkle with a little flour and place on a floured baking sheet.

For the accompaniment:

  1. Wash, peel, and dice the potatoes. Wash the Savoy cabbage and shred it. Cut the cheese into little cubes.
  2. Cook the diced potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes. Then, add the Savoy cabbage and cook for 3 minutes. Next, add the noodles to the same pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  4. Place an oven-safe dish in the oven to warm it up, then, when the noodles are cooked, drain them well with a skimmer together with the vegetables.
  5. Place a layer of the mixed noodles/vegetables in the warm dish, add some of the diced cheese and grated Parmigiano. Repeat layering until you add the rest of the noodles, cheese, and Parmigiano.
  6. Place the dish in the oven and bake for a few minutes just until the cheese melts and creates a lovely crispy top.
  7. In the meantime, heat up the butter with the garlic and sage leaves on medium/high until it gets golden brown. Remove the garlic.
  8. Finally, take the dish out of the oven and pour the brown butter over the Pizzoccheri.
  9. Gently mix, then serve the Pizzoccheri warm with ground black pepper on top.

Notes

If you want to make gluten-free noodles, just replace the amount of white flour with gluten-free flour. If you can find it, use light buckwheat flour, especially if new to you.

It is best to make the buckwheat pasta fresh, just before making the dish. However, you can leave the noodles in the fridge overnight. It is not advisable to freeze them.

When cabbage is not in season, you can use chard or green beans.

The brown butter, beurre noisette, is very important for this dish, so it would be best to use a European-style butter, with a higher fat content (and a lovely yellow color).

Any leftover can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and warmed up in the oven or over a bain-marie (double boiler).

  • Category: Pasta, Vegetarian
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

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Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes (Pizzoccheri)-plated-hand on fork

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Nicoletta

NicolettaI love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul. Dig deeper →

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarNaiby says

    January 14, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    I didn't know buckwheat noodles outside of Asia as in soba noodles, which seem to be such an art. Knowing that I can make it myself makes it less intimidating. Thanks for your recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:26 am

      You're welcome! They're not the easiest noodles to make, but very satisfying.

      Reply
  2. AvatarAmy Liu Dong says

    January 15, 2021 at 7:49 am

    Oh my goodness, this pasta recipe looks really delicious. It's not easy for me to do it but will try to make this as I would love to know the taste of it, wishing that it will turn good as yours.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:27 am

      Thanks! Once you get the hang of the texture and how to cut the noodles, the dish comes pretty easy and it's so good!

      Reply
  3. Avatarveenaazmanov says

    January 15, 2021 at 8:07 am

    Quick and easy Dinners. Crunchy and delicious combinations. Best for a Happy Meal option.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. AvatarPaige says

    January 15, 2021 at 11:23 am

    Thanks for all the tips here, this looks pretty easy and I love the flavors you have going on!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:28 am

      The flavors are truly amazing, a must-try for sure!

      Reply
  5. AvatarKushigalu says

    January 17, 2021 at 8:00 am

    What a delicious pasta combo plus I love how easy and quick dinner option this is. I will definitely try this out. Thanks for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:29 am

      It is truly a delicious pasta dish, very unusual for the use of buckwheat flour, after having made the noodles, it comes together pretty easily.

      Reply
  6. AvatarKate says

    January 17, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    This recipe is now on rotation in my family for our veggie Mondays! We made it once and loved it!

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:33 am

      Great, thanks!

      Reply
  7. AvatarAmanda Dixon says

    January 17, 2021 at 5:20 pm

    I had never tried buckwheat pasta, but it came out great! It had such a nice heartiness that's perfect for winter.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:30 am

      Definitely a hearty dish, the make it in the Italian mountains and it's so fulfilling!

      Reply
  8. AvatarNicole says

    January 17, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    These sounds like such an interesting recipe. I've never tried buckwheat noodles before but you make it seem very approachable. Also loving the cabbage in this. I'm a huge fan of cabbage in all it's forms.

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:32 am

      It's a great way to use cabbage, which is in season right now, and the buckwheat noodles have such a lovely texture and nuttiness. Hope you try!

      Reply
  9. AvatarNicole says

    January 17, 2021 at 9:46 pm

    Never heard of Buckwheat pasta. Thank you for sharing a recipe showing us how to use it.

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:33 am

      Always something to learn. You're welcome!

      Reply
  10. AvatarNatalie says

    January 18, 2021 at 3:34 am

    This is the perfect family dinner. Sounds very delicious. I usually make my own pasta but never tried buckwheat. I think I have a bag of buckwheat flour in my cabinet. Definitely trying this.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:34 am

      Thanks! It is a delicious pasta dish, well balanced and hearty, perfect for winter. Hope you try it!

      Reply
  11. AvatarMarcellina says

    January 20, 2021 at 12:56 am

    I have a friend who makes this dish and when she described it to me I thought that I really must make it. Now that I've seen the result, I know I definitely will be!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • NicolettaNicoletta says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:35 am

      Thank you! Yes, it's very popular and loved in Northern Italy. We liked it very much and hopefully you'll love it too!

      Reply

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teamsugarlovespicesHi! We are Loreto and Nicoletta, the foodie duo behind Sugar Love Spices. We love creating in the kitchen using seasonal good quality ingredients that we believe are key to the success of every meal. Come with us as we share traditional Italian recipes and so much more. Having fun in the kitchen is very important to us, and want to share that light heartedness with you. Nicoletta will help you with the sweet things, and I Loreto like to spice things up. Dig deeper →

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