Buckwheat pasta with potatoes and swiss chard

Pasta and macaroni Italian cuisine

This recipe (better known in Italian as Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi) from the steep valleys of the Valtellina in Lombardy comes from the Accademia del Pizzocchero, so this is as official as it gets. The original recipe called for double this amount to serve 4 people but it's a very hearty dish and I found that halved (which are the proportions below), the recipe was still enough for 3 hungry people or 4, if you're planning on serving this with other dishes. I also found the proportion of butter to be quite overwhelming so have reduced it slightly from 100 grams to 70 grams. The combination of potatoes and savoy cabbage is the most classic way to serve pizzoccheri but depending on the season and availability, either silverbeet (Swiss chard) or green beans are often used instead. Aside from this one variation of the greens, this is the recipe and the locals are proudly, vehemently opposed to any changes, additions or substitutions to their pizzoccheri. And there's good reason – it is delicious, and despite the humble (even apparently plain) ingredients, it is a rich and hearty winter dish. The traditional cheese to use is either Valtellina Casera or Bitto. It may be difficult to find these unique cheeses outside of the region, but a close (though unorthodox) substitute would be Gruyere. An aged fontina could also do the trick.