How to make the Pizzoccheri valtellinesi:
Cook the peeled potatoes in salted water, add the chopped vegetables. When the water will boil, add the pizzoccheri. Cook for another 10 minutes, then drain it into a bowl, alternating a layer of pizzoccheri and vegetables with a layer of soft cheese or type casera Bitto (alternatively the classic fontina, easier to find) and Parmesan cheese. Season with a sauce that you have previously made with sage or garlic sautéed in plenty of butter and pepper.
Serves 4
 Pizzoccheri
Specialty pasta from
the Italian Alps. This hearty, fibrous noodle is a specialty pasta from the
Italian Alps (Valtellina) made with half buckwheat flour and half durum
wheat. Approximate cooking time: 15 minutes
Teglio is the historical center of buckwheat cultivation and traditionally the homeland
of pizzoccheri, which are dark-coloured thick tagliatelle made from a mixture of buckwheat
flour and wheat flour. They are served with potatoes, spinach, chard and Savoy cabbage
enriched with local cheese, preferably Bitto. It was the local cultivation of the town,
which provided all these ingredients, that led to such a delicious recipe. Brasciadei,
ring-shaped rye bread left to go dry and crunchy, is also added to the Teglio pizzoccheri.
Another speciality of Valtellina is the Sciatt puff, which consists of cheese cubes
covered in buckwheat batter with a drop of grappa and served on a bed of green chicory.
The cuisine of Alta Valtellina, the area around Bormio and Livigno, is strongly influenced
by South Tyrol and Engadina, and its typical dishes include Kanedel, Gnocc with white flour
and Sughet. Tirano has unusual specialties like the traditional dish of Chiscioi, tasty
cheese and buckwheat fritters, and deserts like the honey and walnut Cupeta.
For more information, contact the Accademia del Pizzocchero.
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