izzoccheri is a specialty pasta of the village of Teglio, in Valtellina, which is one of Lombardy's mountain valleys bordering Switzerland.
It resembles tagliatelle, but is only 7 cm long (about 2.7 inches), 10 mm wide (0.39 inches) and 2 to 3 mm thick (one tenth of an inch). It is made from a mixture of one third wheat and two thirds buckwheat flour, which is unusual for Italian pastas and gives it a typical darker color.
Pizzoccheri is typically cooked with savoy cabbage, chard, beans or potatoes, and topped with Valtellina Casera or Fontina cheese. The ingredients are placed in layers in a baking dish, and served with plenty of butter browned with garlic, plus a dash of ground pepper.
