L'Italo-Americano

LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano Valtellinese, where he cata- logues the varied flora of Valtellina and mentions also fagopiro (buckwheat), the f l o u r o f w h i c h i s u s e d t o m a k e " m a n y d i s h e s l i k e gnocchi and tagliatelle, both called pizzoccheri." Pizzoccheri as we know them today are a thing of the e a r l y 1 9 t h c e n t u r y : t h i c k t a g l i a t e l l e m a d e w i t h buckwheat and white flour — their proportion varying f r o m v i l l a g e t o v i l l a g e — were boiled in salted water along with sliced potatoes, s a v o y c a b b a g e o r g r e e n beans. They were then drai- ned using a skimmer called cazafuràda and layered in a dish with two types of chee- se, one lighter and fresher, the other more mature and full flavored. Some butter, or even lard, was added, along w i t h g a r l i c o r o n i o n a n d sage. A n d w h a t a b o u t t h e i r name? Some think it comes from the lexical root "pit" or "piz," both meaning "small piece;" others believe "piz- zoccheri" comes from the term "pinzare," to press or to flatten, a reference to the shape of the pasta itself. Pizzoccheri are sold both as fresh and dry pasta, and a r e v e r y p o p u l a r a l l o v e r Italy, although I think they are more commonly appre- ciated in the North, where the cold of winter months c a l l s f o r r i c h , f i l l i n g a n d comforting food. The recipe below is for traditional pizzoccheri with potatoes, cheese and savoy c a b b a g e . T h e s u g g e s t e d c h e e s e s a r e c a s e r a a n d bitto, both holding a DOP ( p r o t e c t e d d e n o m i n a t i o n origin) certification. If you can't find them at your local deli, you can opt for another delicious Alpine cheese, fon- tina, which may be easier to get, or Asiago. In any case, make sure the cheese you choose is soft and flavorso- me: nor mild like mozzarella neither strong like gorgon- zola. P i z z o c c h e r i r e c i p e ( f r o m L a C u c i n a Italiana) For 4 people: I n g r e d i e n t s f o r t h e pizzoccheri 3 cups of buckwheat flour 3/4 cups of plain flour salt 250 ml of water Ingredients for the dressing 1/2 lbs of potatoes 1/2 lbs of savoy cabbage leaves 1/2 cup of butter 1/2 cup of casera cheese 1/2 cup of Grana Padano DOP 1/2 cup of bitto cheese salt 2 cloves of garlic Mix the buckwheat and t h e p l a i n f l o u r t o g e t h e r , then add a pinch of salt, and water sufficient to make a s m o o t h , h o m o g e n e o u s dough ball, of a consistency similar to pie crust. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once the time has pas- sed, roll the dough in a thin sheet of about 2 or 3 mm (0.08 to 0.11 in), then cut s t r i p e s o f a b o u t 1 c m i n width (0.39 in) and 7 or 8 c m ( 2 . 7 5 t o 3 . 1 5 i n ) i n length. And voilà, your piz- zoccheri are ready. To avoid they stick to one another, lightly sprinkle them with some flour. Set the pizzoccheri aside and prep all the ingredients for the dressing. First of all, slice the chee- se very thinly, then peel the potatoes and cut them in small chunks. Clean the savoy cabbage, making sure you only use its leaves, which you need to cut in small pieces. Bring water to the boil and add salt, as you usually do when making pasta. Add the potatoes first, let them cook for five minutes, then add the savoy cabbage and the pizzoccheri. Cook for about 10 minu- tes. W h i l e t h e p a s t a c o o k s , melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the gar- lic and sauté it until it turns golden. D r a i n t h e p i z z o c c h e r i , potatoes and savoy cabbage with a skimmer and layer them in an oven dish with the sliced cheese and grated grana, until you finish all the ingredients (pretty much the w a y y o u ' d d o w h e n y o u make lasagne!). Pour the butter on top of the pasta and serve imme- diately. Made with buckwheat flour, pizzoccheri are usually served with potatoes, savoy cabbage, cheese and butter (Photo: Milla74/ Dreamstime) Continued from page 30

• Cover