Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta and Vegetables
- 250 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
- 200 g swiss chard, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
- 320 g buckwheat pasta, pizzoccheri shape preferred
- 15 g fine sea salt
Cheeses
- 160 g fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
- 80 g parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated
Aromatics and Fats
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 8 fresh sage, whole leaves
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 711 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbohydrates
- 68 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 2128 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 21 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 103 mg
- Potassium
- 781 mg
- Calcium
- 522 mg
- Iron
- 6.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 242 mg
- Phosphorus
- 609 mg
- Zinc
- 4.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 436 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 419 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.22 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 124 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and lightly grease a 20x30cm baking dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season heavily with the fine sea salt.
Add the diced waxy potatoes to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the buckwheat pasta and chopped Swiss chard to the same pot with the potatoes. Boil for 8 minutes, leaving the pasta slightly under al dente as it will continue cooking in the oven.
While the pasta boils, melt the unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Add the crushed garlic cloves and fresh sage leaves to the melted butter. Sauté until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and smells nutty, then remove from heat and discard the garlic.
Drain the pasta, potato, and chard mixture thoroughly in a colander.
Spread one-third of the drained pasta mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish, then scatter one-third of the cubed Fontina and grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the top. Repeat to create three layers.
Drizzle the hot, brown sage butter evenly over the top layer of the assembled dish.
Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 15 minutes, or until the cheeses are completely melted and bubbling at the edges.
Remove from the oven, garnish with the freshly cracked black pepper, and rest the dish for 5 minutes before serving to allow the molten cheese to stabilize.
Chef's Notes
- Buckwheat pasta (Pizzoccheri) is delicate due to the lack of gluten in buckwheat flour. Always handle it gently to prevent it from shattering in the water.
- Browning the butter (beurre noisette) is crucial for the flavor profile. Watch it closely; it goes from nutty and golden to burnt very quickly.
- For the best texture, purchase a block of Fontina or Gruyere and dice it yourself. Pre-grated cheeses contain starches that will prevent the luscious, creamy melt this dish relies on.
- Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or Charlotte are essential here because they hold their cube shape after boiling and baking, whereas starchy potatoes will disintegrate.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in an oven preheated to 150C or microwave on medium power until the cheese remelts.
Troubleshooting
Pasta is mushy and falls apart
Cause: The buckwheat pasta was fully cooked or overcooked in the boiling water before baking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Boil the pasta for 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions indicate. It must be distinctly undercooked before entering the oven.
Dish feels too dry or heavy
Cause: Not enough residual pasta water was retained, or the baking dish was too wide, causing the moisture to evaporate quickly.
Fix: Stir a splash of hot water or cream into the individual portions when serving.
Prevention: Do not shake the colander excessively when draining; a little clinging water helps emulsify the melted cheeses.
Cheese is oily or separated rather than creamy
Cause: The cheese was exposed to too high of a heat in the oven, causing the fat to break out of the protein matrix.
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed, but stirring vigorously before serving can re-incorporate some of the fat.
Prevention: Ensure the oven is not hotter than 180C, and use high-moisture melting cheeses rather than pre-shredded cheeses coated in anti-caking agents.
Cultural Context
Pizzoccheri originates from the Valtellina valley in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. Historically a poor man's winter dish, it relied on cold-hardy crops like buckwheat, cabbage or chard, and potatoes, paired with local alpine cheeses like Casera and Bitto. While traditionally served immediately after layering the hot ingredients to melt the cheese, this baked variation offers a comforting, texturally rich casserole perfect for modern dinner tables.
