Pizzoccheri are a type of short tagliatelle

Tagliatelle

Tagliatelle and tagliolini are a traditional type of pasta from Emilia-Romagna and Marches, regions of Italy. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine and are typically about 0.65 cm to 1 cm wide...

, a flat ribbon pasta

Pasta

Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...

, made with 80% buckwheat

Buckwheat

Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...

 flour and 20% wheat flour. When classically prepared in Valtellina

Valtellina

Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...

 or in Graubünden

Graubünden

Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...

, they are cooked along with greens (often Swiss Chard but also Savoy cabbage

Cabbage

Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...

), and cubed potatoes. This mixture is layered with pieces of Valtellina Casera

Valtellina Casera

Valtellina Casera is a cheese made from semi-skimmed cows’ milk in the northern Italian province of Sondrio. Its origins date back to the sixteenth century and it is much used in the cuisine of the Valtellina: particularly in dishes based on buckwheat flour such as pizzoccheri and sciatt.It has had...

 cheese and ground Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano-Reggiano , also known in English as Parmesan , is a hard granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Bologna , and Mantova , Italy...

, and dressed with garlic

Garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...

 and sage

Common sage

Salvia officinalis is a small, perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the family Lamiaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world...

 that are lightly fried in butter

Butter

Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...

 together.

Pizzoccheri can be easily made by hand. They can also be found pre-made.

Two pizzoccheri fairs (or sagre) take place in Teglio

Teglio

Teglio is a comune in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 100 km northeast of Milan and about 15 km east of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland....

: La Sagra dei Pizzoccheri, celebrated in July and the festival of The Golden Pizzocchero, celebrated in September.

The Pizzoccheri bianchi of the area around Chiavenna are quite distinct, being a form of gnocchetti, often made from white wheatflour and dry bread.