If one dish declares winter in the Italian alps, it is pizzoccheri al forno, a tousle of fresh buckwheat pasta and white cabbage bathed in butter, black pepper, garlic, and sage and baked until lethally bubbly in a haze of Italian fontina. Buckwheat shares an affinity for each of these ingredients, and together they warm to near virtuosic levels. Recipes for this dish often include diced potatoes, but we don't think their addition improves things. Savoy cabbage makes a pretty substitution for white cabbage, but we were surprised to find that we liked the sweetness and texture of white cabbage more.

Equipment Mise en Place
For this recipe you will need a stockpot, a pair of tongs, a colander, a large skillet, and a 2-quart gratin dish.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering gratin dish and foil
1 tablespoon table salt for pasta cooking water
1 recipe Anson Mills Pizzoccheri, with cut, uncooked pasta ready
for the pot
1/4 cup sliced garlic cloves (about 8 cloves)
1 smallish head white cabbage, cored and sliced (about 10 cups)
1/4 cup whole small sage leaves, stemmed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces Italian fontina cheese, cut into small dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups rich, homemade chicken stock, hot
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh minced chives or chopped Italian parsley

Directions
1. Adjust a rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish and a piece of aluminum foil that will serve to cover the dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

2. When the water boils, add the table salt. Gently lower the pasta into the water, taking care not to break it. After about 10 seconds, stir gently with tongs. As soon as the water returns to a boil, lower the heat to medium-high and cover the pot partially. Cook the pasta to extreme al dente, or just past a hard, starchy center, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain into a colander and place in cold water to chill, taking care not to break the pasta. Drain completely and set aside.

3. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, stirring all the while, 20 seconds. Stir in the cabbage and sauté until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add sage and season with sea salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Layer the buttered casserole with pasta, cabbage mixture, and fontina. Combine the chicken stock and cream and pour over the other ingredients. Fit the foil over the casserole, buttered side down, and bake until casserole is bubbly and hot throughout, 30 minutes.

Serves 6