Pizzoccheri Pasta, plus Potatoes and Cabbage

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellina is a hearty and comforting pasta dish from the valley of Valtellina, Lombardy. It's made of buckwheat pasta (called Pizzoccheri), cabbage and potatoes mixed with fontina cheese and garlic butter. This quick and easy recipe is the solid comfort for those frosty days!

Pizzoccheri (pronounced Pee-zoh-kay-ree) is something we make regularly during the colder months.

Famous in the north of Italy, this dish even has a recorded official recipe in the valley of Valtellina which includes a specific cheese (Valtellina Casera DOP) and strict dimensions of pasta.

Our recipe uses Fontina cheese which is another common cheese that's used and much easier to find.

The buckwheat pasta, cabbage and potatoes are all boiled in the same pot so it's easy. They're then drained and then mixed with the cheese and melted garlic butter.

We mean, garlic butter, cheese? It's beyond good. The kind of meal you crave when it's cold out and better yet it can be ready in around 15-20 minutes.

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

Ingredients – what you need

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make our Pizzoccheri pasta recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!

• Pizzoccheri pasta – pizzoccheri is a type of pasta made from a mix of buckwheat and wheat flour. It's flat like tagliatelle and cut into small strips. You can find in it some Italian speciality food stores or online. Alternatively, you can use another shape of buckwheat pasta.
• Potatoes – peeled and cut into medium sized cubes.
• Cabbage – we use Savoy cabbage.
• Fontina cheese – this is the best substitute for Valtellina Casera DOP cheese which is rarely found outside of Lombardy (we couldn't find it in Tuscany). Fontina should be available in most Italian food stores, alternatively you can use Gruyere cheese.
• Butter – unsalted.
• Garlic – must be fresh garlic!

How to make Pizzoccheri with step by step photos

Preparation Tips!

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt.
• Cut the potatoes into medium sized cubes and roughly chop the cabbage.
• Cut the cheese into small cubes.
• Finely chop the garlic.

Step 1) Make sure everything is prepped (detailed above). Add the potatoes to the boiling water and let them cook for 2-3 minutes then add the cabbage and Pizzoccheri pasta – boil for 10 minutes (photos 1 & 2).

Step 2) When the pasta is almost ready make the garlic butter by sauteing the chopped garlic in butter for a minute or two until fragrant (photo 3).

Step 3) Drain the pasta and vegetables then add them back to the empty pot. Add the cubes of cheese and melted butter and stir to combine until the cheese is melted then serve (photos 4-6).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Add the cheese and butter straight away – as soon as the pizzoccheri pasta and vegetables have been drained, add them back to the pot and add the cheese and garlic butter straight away so the cheese melts.
• Best served immediately – because of the melting cheese this recipe is best served as soon as it's made so we don't recommend preparing it in advance or storing leftovers.

Where does Pizzoccheri alla Valtellina originate?

Pizzoccheri comes from Valtellina, a small mountain valley in Lombardy famous for its beautiful mountainous landscapes, skiing and vineyards. This hearty and rich dish is perfectly suited to the cold, snowy winters in Northern Italy.

What can we use instead of Fontina cheese?

If you can't find Fontina then Gruyere cheese would be a great substitute.

Can we freeze this?

We don't recommend freezing, it's best enjoyed straight after cooking.

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This post was first published on 28th September 2017 but has since been updated for user experience.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 10.5 oz pizzoccheri pasta ((300g))
• 3 medium potatoes ((430g))
• 4 cup cabbage (roughly chopped (300g/10 oz))
• 1 cup fontina cheese (cut into cubes (150g) can also use gruyere)
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter ((125g))
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper (, to season)

Method

Prepartion

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Peel and chop the potatoes into medium-sized cubes and roughly chop the cabbage. Cut the cheese into small cubes and finely chop or crush the garlic.

How to make pizzoccheri

1. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage and pasta to the pot and boil for another 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add the garlic and butter to a small pan and fry the garlic in the melted butter for 1-2 minutes, don't let it brown, set aside.

3. Drain the pasta and vegetables then add it back into the pot. Add the cheese and melted butter and mix it all together until the cheese has melted and the garlic butter has coated everything, Season with an extra pinch of salt and pepper and serve hot.

Kitchen notes

• Add the cheese and butter straight away as soon as the Pizzoccheri pasta and vegetables have been drained, add them back to the pot and add the cheese and garlic butter straight away so the cheese melts.
• Best served immediately because of the melting cheese this recipe is best served as soon as it's made so we don't recommend preparing it in advance or storing leftovers.