Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi (Buckwheat Pasta with Potatoes, Cabbage & Fontina)

This traditional Northern-Italian dish—starring hearty buckwheat pizzoccheri pasta, potatoes, cabbage and fontina—is winter-comfort classic: indulgent, stick-to-your-ribs and cheesy (plus, it's easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes). The pasta and vegetables are cooked in the same pot and then layered with nutty Fontina val d'Aosta cheese and drizzled with garlicky browned butter. What could be more comforting than that?

Recipe by Asha Loupy

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 8.8-ounce package Buckwheat Pizzoccheri Pasta from Rustichella d’Abruzzo
4 cups savoy cabbage, shredded into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, grated
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnishing

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add the cubed potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, then add the buckwheat pizzoccheri pasta and shredded cabbage, reducing the heat to medium high (you don’t want the pasta to break apart). Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10-12 minutes.

When the pasta and vegetables have 5 minutes left to cook, make the browned butter. In a medium skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic to the melted butter, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the butter begins to brown and the garlic is lightly golden, about 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm.

Drain the pasta and vegetables. To assemble, spoon an even layer of the pasta and vegetables into a warmed serving dish. Top with an even layer of Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta and fontina cheese ending with the cheese. Spoon the reserved browned butter and garlic over the top of the dish. Garnish with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve immediately.