Italian cooking
Pizzoccheri with cabbage, potatoes and cheese
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Rustic buckwheat ribbons, cabbage and potatoes come together under melted cheese and garlic-scented butter. A rich mountain dish, served piping hot.
Method
- If preparing both original and lighter portions, set aside the ingredients and quantities specified for the lighter portions; the remainder is for the original portions. Prepare the two versions separately whenever their cooking or seasoning differs. Quantities given for the whole preparation are divided between the separate containers, not repeated in each one. Mix the buckwheat flour and 50 g plain flour in a bowl. Add 160 g of the 170 g lukewarm water, work by hand for 5 minutes and add the rest only if the dough crumbles. It should form a firm, pliable ball without sticking. Cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
- While the dough rests, cut the potatoes and cabbage, grate the Parmesan and slice the Emmental. Put a large serving dish in the oven at 80°C to warm. Bring the cooking water to the boil in a wide saucepan suited to the quantities (reference volume: 2 litres for two portions).
- Divide the dough in half and keep one half covered. Roll the first half out on a lightly floured work surface to 2 mm thick, turning and dusting lightly to prevent sticking. Cut into strips 7 cm wide, then into ribbons 5–7 mm wide. Separate the ribbons on a floured board and repeat with the second half.
- Add the 20 g salt to the water. Cook the potatoes in it for 5 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for 3 minutes, then add the pasta ribbons, gently separating them. Cook at a gentle boil for another 5–8 minutes: the pasta should be pliable, with no floury taste in the centre, and a knife should pass through the potatoes.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter and garlic in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Let it foam for 3–5 minutes, then remove from the heat as soon as the little milk solids start to turn golden and smell nutty. Remove the garlic before it browns.
- Take the warm dish out using oven gloves. Lift out half the pasta and vegetables with a slotted spoon, let drain for 2 seconds and place in the dish. Scatter over half of each cheese, then add the remaining pasta and vegetables and the remaining cheese. Pour over the hot butter and season with pepper.
- Cover the dish with a warm plate for 2 minutes to melt the cheese, then gently lift the mixture once with a spoon to distribute the butter. Serve immediately: the ribbons should remain separate, coated in cheese; do not leave them waiting in the oven.
Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.
Lighter version
Reference variation for two servings.
The buckwheat and cabbage are more noticeable. The cheese is less stringy and the browned butter coats the ribbons more lightly; the dish loses some of the original version's rich creaminess.
- Buckwheat flour : 160 g
- Plain wheat flour : 50 g
- Water : 2130 g
- Unsalted butter, 82% fat (200 g block) : 45 g
- Kosher Emmental : 90 g
- Parmesan or Grana Padano (250 g piece) : 40 g
Make the dough with 160 g buckwheat flour, 40 g plain flour and about 130 g water; reserve the remaining 10 g flour for rolling out. Keep all the vegetables and use cooking water suited to the pan, as in the main recipe.
Lightly brown the garlic with 45 g butter in a small saucepan. Assemble the layers with 90 g Emmental and 40 g Parmesan; cover briefly to help the cheese melt, without prolonging the cooking and drying out the pasta.
Less pasta, butter and cheese, with the same amount of cabbage and potatoes.
On your plate
Recipe
1368 kcal · protein 48 g · carbs 119 g · fat 74 g
Quantities per person
- 100 g Buckwheat flour
- 32.5 g Plain wheat flour
- 100 g White cabbage
- 125 g Potatoes
- 62.5 g Kosher Emmental
- 37.5 g Parmesan or Grana Padano (250 g piece)
- 50 g Unsalted butter, 82% fat (200 g block)
- 5 g Garlic
- 0.5 g Ground black pepper
- 10 g Fine salt
- 1085 g Water
Cooking tips
The Teglio version uses Valtellina Casera; this recipe deliberately uses kosher Emmental, which is milder and stretchier, with kosher Parmesan. The generous quantity of butter is part of the original dish; the lighter version is a separate variation. Buckwheat dough is more fragile than wheat dough: handle it with a spatula if it tears.
Pizzoccheri method from the Accademia del Pizzocchero di Teglio, adapted for kosher cheese: https://accademiadelpizzocchero.it/la-ricetta/
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