Food of Northern Italy | All Things Sicilian and more

Italian food is all about locality. Each region has unique heritage and celebrates its local produce and cuisine.

In 2019, I stayed and travelled through parts of Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and a few places around Mantova (Mantua) in Lombardy. I loved it all, but I particularly enjoyed spending time in some parts of South Tyrol that I hadn’t visited before. South Tyrol is an autonomous province and part of the two areas that make up the region of Trentino-Alto Adige (also known as South Tyrol). The name is a result of the union of two separate areas – Trentino and Alto Adige. Trentino is the province of Trento, the Alto Adige is the province of Bolzano (alto – upper/further north). Although these provinces are in the same region they are self-governing.

A few years before this trip I stayed and travelled around Bergamo, Brescia, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore and also parts of Piedmont. I have also travelled through from France to Trieste, stopping in places along the the way.

Although all these places are in Northern Italy, the food from place to place can be vastly different. Because of its history Trentino-Alto Adige is unique.

This region is located in the north-eastern part of Italy, and it borders with Switzerland to the north-west and Austria to the north; the region’s proximity to Austria gives it a strong German influence and the main languages spoken are Italian and German. This unique blend of cultures completely sets this region apart from the rest of Italy and its neighbours.

Those of you who have travelled through Northern Italy may notice that the further north you go, the more corn (polenta), barley, rye, and buckwheat you will find in local dishes, especially in the selections of dark breads, cakes and pastries.

I am very fond of heavy breads (German style) and I particularly like buckwheat polenta and rye and buckwheat pasta.

Rye and buckwheat are grown and popular in Eastern Europe where the climates are cold.

Valtellina is a long narrow valley bordered by mountains in northern Lombardy, north of Lake Como and it is recognised for Pizzoccheri – a buckwheat pasta that is cooked with cabbage and potatoes. These vegetables are associated with hearty food – suitable for cold weather terrain and when cooked by themselves are not particularly flavourful. Rich pasture is plentiful and the region and it is renowned for dairy produce. The distinctive flavour of this dish is enhanced by butter and the alpine cheeses that the region is renowned for producing such as Bitto and Valtellina Casera (DOP cheeses – Protected Designation of Origin). And not surprisingly the food in this particular mountainous part of Lombardy is unique because of its isolation in the past.

Rye and buckwheat are widespread and prominent and feature in the local cuisine. Garlic and sage also contribute to the flavour of this dish – sage is a hardy perennial and garlic originally may have been there to boost health. In many countries, garlic has been used medicinally for centuries, and this is an old classic recipe.

The use of rye or buckwheat creates a darker, chewier and more flavoursome pasta. Obviously pasta made with either of these grains does not go with all sauces, but I particularly like it with nut and herb based dressings and plenty of cheese. Like pasta made with chestnut flour a strong mushroom ragù/ragout is pretty good on anything!

Pizzoccheri are made using buckwheat pasta. Often the ingredients of potatoes, cabbage and pasta are drained before they are dressed with the butter, garlic and sage sauce and cheese. But this does not have to be a dry pasta dish and I much prefer it as a wet dish. I suggest you read the whole recipe before you decide how you want to cook it and eat it.

Some cooks use more potatoes than cabbage, I like to use more cabbage than potato – approximately 300 g potatoes to 400 g cabbage. Ideally Savoy cabbage is good to use (and more colourful), but it is particularly seasonal and not always found easily as it is in Europe.

The cheese Valtellina Casera may be difficult to find, so substitute it with Fontina or Gruyère, Emmental, Edam, or Gouda, especially if the cheese is aged.

The ratio for making the pasta and using buckwheat flour to white flour varies, but I like 300g of buckwheat to 100g white (I like organic, unbleached). No eggs are used in the buckwheat mixture, just water, however occasionally I have added 1 egg to the mix and it may help the flours to stick together.

To make rye pasta use the same amounts and method as described in this recipe, but substitute the buckwheat flour with rye flour and add three eggs. When making rye pasta I usually add some caraway seeds, or fennel or anise to the dough when I knead it. At times, I have also done this when making buckwheat pasta and the results have been good.

Once again, the amounts are only guides. When my relatives make/ made pasta (or I make pasta for that matter) I use an estimation of judgement. I can remember my mother saying: “One fistful (un pugno) of flour per egg, and ½ eggshell of water if it needs more liquid”. Having grown up with this, I still use this measure.

300 g buckwheat flour

100 g plain white flour

Start with 150 ml water

Place the 2 flours and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix. Make a well in the centre, pour in some water, a little at the time. Use your fingers to mix liquid with the flour, until everything is combined; if it is too dry, add water, if too sticky, add some flour. Perfect dough should never stick to your fingers Knead it to make one smooth lump of dough (for 5-8 minutes).

You can use a pasta rolling machine if you wish, but I usually roll the pasta between two sheets of baking paper.

Once you have cut the pasta into the width of pappardelle, cut each strip diagonally into pieces roughly 1 cm long.

The ingredients in the photo below are for 2 people, but I could have easily fed 4

300 g potatoes and 400 g cabbage (alter to suit)

300 g butter (I use unsalted) and some extra virgin olive oil

200 g cheese – Fontina or Gruyère, Emmental, Edam, or Gouda

at least 3-6 cloves of garlic and quite a few sage leaves (although the photo shows 2 cloves of garlic, I added 3 large ones)

salt and pepper

Parmesan, grated, at time of serving especially if you have not added much cubed cheese (see above)

Cut the potatoes into cubes – I like waxy potatoes and leave the skins on, Italians peel them. Remove the core from the cabbage and cut it into strips about 2 cm square.

Put the potatoes into cold water with sufficient liquid to accomodate all of the ingredients and to result into a thick soup. The pasta will swell a bit and you may need to add more boiling water as the pasta cooks.

When the potatoes come to the boil add salt and the cabbage and allow it to soften sufficiently before you add the pasta; the potatoes should still need some cooking before you add the pasta. I do not think it matters if you use a lid or not while it cooks – if I have too much liquid, I tend to leave the lid off to allow some evaporation. Cook until all is cooked and keep the pasta al dente.

Your pasta, cabbage and potatoes will be tasteless without this dressing and the cubed cheese. Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices, wash and dry the sage leaves. Using a small frypan, add the oil and the butter to melt. Add the garlic and the sage leaves and gently cook them, but prevent them from browning.

When you see the garlic turning brown, switch off the heat and remove the garlic as it will keep on browning. You can remove some of the leaves, but I rather like them and just remove the few that may look too crisp.

Cut the cheese into small cubes. It will melt in the hot liquid and you may need to juggle the strings of cheese from the plate to your mouth! Always good fun.

Now, this is where you need to decide if you drain the solids and dress them or eat it as a wet pasta dish. My preference is for a wet pasta dish and to remove some of the liquid if it is too wet – save as stock to add to a different dish.

Mix everything through gently. Add ground pepper. The cheese will soften.

Unless I am cooking for a special occasion I don’t make homemade pasta. There is commercially made buckwheat pasta. As you can see these are spiralli. San Remo makes both buckwheat and spelt spiralli. Health shops also sell buckwheat spiralli including gluten free. The commercial spirally cook much quicker than homemade pasta that is thicker and more dense, so adjust your timing or cook the pasta separately.

If you use spiralli – it is NOT a traditional dish, but pretty good all the same.