In Valtellina, a valley in the Italian Alps hosting events for the 2026 Winter Olympics, no dish is taken more seriously than pizzoccheri (“petes-O-keh-ree”), which is on almost every restaurant menu in the ski resort towns. People who grew up here debate the proper width of the buckwheat noodles that make up its base (with opinions based on what their mothers did, of course). There is even a pizzoccheri institute dedicated to its preservation. Alessandro Negrini, a Michelin-starred chef, grew up in the valley and dedicated himself to the dish. “It’s what is in our soul,” he said. The noodles are simple, requiring just buckwheat flour, wheat flour and water, plus about five minutes to knead into the right texture. Cooks in the valley use Valtellina Casera cheese, which is difficult to source outside of Europe, but any good Alpine-style variety works well. The key is to have the serving dish warm and the ingredients prepped so that you can assemble the final dish quickly, so that the heat from the pasta, potatoes and cabbage do the work to melt the cheese. A gentle pour of browned butter gives everything a rich, silky finish: The original recipe relies on grassy Alpine butter, so use the best butter you can. No one will argue the dish isn’t insanely rich, but it’s just perfect after a day in the snowy mountains.

News Source : https://www.oregonlive.com/nytcooking/2026/02/pizzoccheri-buckwheat-pasta-with-cheese-and-cabbage.html