Barbera d’Asti D.O.C.G. Superiore

Each piece is about a centimetre wide, seven centimetres long and not thicker than 2 millimetres: pizzoccheri is a type of homemade pasta and a typical dish of the Valtellina region in Italy, prepared with buckwheat flour and seasoned with abundant Casera cheese (another regional speciality), cabbage, potatoes and plenty of butter.

The name pizzoccheri seems to be derived from “piz” that means “little piece” or “morsel” or perhaps from the word “pinzare” (staple or pinch together), and schiacciare (to squash or squeeze), refering to the squashed, flat form of the pasta. Although once it was homemade, nowadays pizzoccheri is sold as pre-packed dry pasta ready to use: once the pasta is ready, and the potatoes and cabbage have been cooked, the dish is made simply by mixing the pizzoccheri in a large dish covering them with the cheese, vegetables and lots of butter.

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