Buckwheat Pasta....Italian style!

This hearty, satisfying dish is the most well-known culinary specialty from the Valtellina area in the mountainous northern Italian region of Lombardy, bordering Switzerland. The short, flat ribbons of pasta are handcut from a dough made with a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour, and prepared with potatoes, Savoy cabbage, and toothsome local cheese.
Sometimes you can find pre-made, dried pizzoccheri at Italian import stores, but it is also quite easy to make your own, as suggested in this recipe, if you can find buckwheat flour.
It's a great one-dish meal for cold winter nights, as it's so rich and comforting.
Variations:

• If you'd like, you can also add a few fresh sage leaves to the butter when sauteing the garlic.
• If you can't find or don't like Savoy cabbage, you can substitute it with green beans or chard.
• This may seem like a lot of butter to you, but the original recipe calls for four times as much! You may, in any case, adjust as desired.

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups (400 g) buckwheat flour
• 2/3 (100 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound (250 g) Savoy cabbage, cored, outer leaves removed, and cut into 2-inch strips
• 8 1/2 ounces (250 g) potatoes (about 2 small or 1 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound (250 g) Valtellina Casera DOP cheese (may be substituted with Taleggio or Fontina)
• 1 cup (150 g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces/100 g) unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 3-4 fresh sage leaves (optional)
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

Preparation

Place a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.
Blend the two flours well, then form the mixture into a volcano shape on a large wooden board. Pour 1 cup of water into the crater and knead well for about 5 minutes to form a smooth dough. Roll out a sheet of the dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick and cut into 1/2-inch wide by 3-inch long strips.
When the water is boiling, add the cabbage and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the pizzocheri and boil for another 7-10 minutes, until pizzocheri are al dente and vegetables are tender.