I am currently in the Tuscan countryside, staying with my boyfriend’s family in a small town called Capezzano Pianore. I had asked them the other night about Pizzoccheri, a classic dish from the northern town of Valtellina, which is made with buckwheat tagliatelle. This Winter, we will have an episode on Buckwheat, in which I will make a casserole inspired by Pizzoccheri, but using the whole grains of Buckwheat instead. Anyway, they prepared the dish last night, and it was delicious. Cubed potatoes are cooked with Swiss Chard and the buckwheat pasta, and then they are layered with lots of cheese (traditionally bitto), and topped with garlic and sage sautéed in butter. The dish is then baked to melt the cheese. The result is a stringy casserole of warmth and heartiness, something I could imagine after a long day of skiing. Our version will use less cheese, combine olive oil with butter, and have apples as well, for a hint of tartness. People often think that Italian food is just pizza and pasta, but there are hidden secrets like Pizzoccheri, whose history you can learn by staying tuned this Winter.