- Food & Wine
Il Butalà
A dish from the Pavia Apennines featuring Deco Brallo potato gnocchi and Menconico black truffle.
Butalà: The Gnocchi of Alta Valle Staffora
Butalà is the dialect name for gnocchi in Alta Valle Staffora, a region of Oltrepò Pavese.
The term Butalà in Italian means "thrown there", an expression that reflects the simplicity of this dish. Yet, despite its humble origins, it embodies a sophisticated and innovative soul.
This gastronomic specialty perfectly represents the fusion of tradition and modernity, a balance that tells the story of Oltrepò Pavese—one eye on its roots, the other on the future.
The ingredients used are locally sourced and deeply rooted in tradition, but Oltrepò Pavese reinterprets them with an original touch, creating a new, exciting flavor capable of captivating an ever-growing and curious audience.
A Dish That Tells a Story
Butalà is a tribute to its land—to the rolling hills alternating with sunlit valleys, to the forests and cultivated fields that shape the landscape under the watchful eye of the mountains. From this generous land come the key ingredients of this dish:
- Brallo De.Co. potatoes, carefully grown at high altitudes.
- Menconico truffle, a true jewel of local gastronomy.
These two elements come together to create the Lombard Butalà—a unique ridged gnocchi filled with Brallo potatoes, eggs, flour, and Menconico truffle, then delicately coated in a fragrant blend of butter and truffle.
The Variants of Butalà
This distinctive dish can be enjoyed in two variations, both tied to the authentic flavors of the Pavia Apennines:
- With Molana, a typical local cheese.
- With Varzese cattle reduction, made from a rare autochthonous Lombard breed.
Thus, Butalà becomes a true symbol of local cuisine, encapsulating the finest regional ingredients and transforming them into an unforgettable culinary experience.
Oltrepò Pavese: A Land That Captivates
Oltrepò Pavese attracts visitors for two main reasons:
- Its historical and natural heritage, with vineyards, castles, historic residences, and breathtaking green landscapes.
- Its gastronomic excellence, because people always return to places where they have eaten well.
The Butalà fits perfectly within this philosophy, offering a new way to tell the story of Oltrepò Pavese—through the flavors that best represent its authentic soul.
DISCOVER WHERE TO TASTE BUTALÀ!
MAIN INGREDIENTS:
- Brallo De.C.O. potatoes: give Butalà its unique texture and authentic flavor.
- Soft wheat flour: a binding element that ensures the gnocchi's structure.
- Menconico black truffle: the star ingredient, enriching the dough with its unmistakable aroma.
- Eggs and salt: sourced from local farms, contributing to the dough's cohesion.
THE PREPARATION:
The Butalà-making process is a celebration of craftsmanship and culinary mastery, passed down through generations.
- Cooking the potatoes until they become soft and easy to work with.
- The potatoes are then mashed and mixed with flour, grated truffle, eggs, and salt to form a smooth dough.
- The dough is rolled into long ropes and cut into walnut-sized pieces.
- Each piece is pressed against a grater, a traditional step that gives Butalà its distinctive irregular shape.
- The gnocchi are then boiled in salted water with a drizzle of oil and removed as soon as they float to the surface.
- Finally, they are coated in melted truffle butter and garnished with generous truffle shavings or a Molana cheese fondue for a richer version.
