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)
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.
