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Blecs friulani buckwheat pasta triangles are a Friulian primo made from one part buckwheat flour and two parts wheat flour. The dough is rolled to 2 mm, cut into 4 cm pieces, and boiled for 3 to 4 minutes. Start to finish it takes about 75 minutes, including a 30-minute rest.
Buckwheat gives the pasta a pale gray-brown color and a nutty, slightly bitter edge. The wheat flour supplies the gluten that keeps the triangles intact in boiling water. The texture, tender with a slight chew, defines the dish more than the sauce does.
I toss them in sage butter and finish with grated smoked ricotta, the traditional local pairing. The smoke is what stands up to the buckwheat.
Make the full batch. Cut triangles freeze flat and cook straight from the freezer, so a later weeknight dinner takes about 15 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two pantry flours and one egg make the whole dough
- Nutty buckwheat holds its own against smoked ricotta
- Cut triangles freeze flat and cook straight from frozen
- The sauce is finished in the time the pasta boils
Ingredient Notes
- buckwheat flour: Use plain buckwheat flour, not a pancake mix. Stone-ground flour gives a darker, earthier dough, and the flour you find in most supermarkets works fine.
- 00 flour: All-purpose flour works as a direct swap at the same weight. The dough will feel slightly less silky but rolls just as thin.
- smoked ricotta: Ricotta affumicata is firm and grates like a hard cheese. If you can’t find it, use aged Parmigiano Reggiano and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika in the butter.
- unsalted butter: Unsalted lets you control the seasoning, since the cheese and pasta water already carry salt. If you only have salted butter, skip any extra salt at the end.
- semolina: Semolina keeps the cut triangles from sticking to each other and the pan. Regular flour works but absorbs into the dough and gets gummy.
Blecs Friulani: Buckwheat Pasta Triangles with Sage Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk 100 g buckwheat flour, 200 g 00 flour, and 1/2 tsp fine salt on a clean counter and make a well in the center. Add the egg and 80 ml warm water, stir with a fork until shaggy, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until firm and smooth. The dough feels dry and slightly crumbly at first because buckwheat absorbs water slowly, so don't add more water yet.
- Wrap the dough tightly and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes. Press it with a finger afterward. If it cracks, knead in 1 tsp warm water at a time until it feels smooth.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces and keep the others covered. Roll one piece on a lightly floured counter to a rectangle about 15 x 30 cm and 2 mm thick. Cut it into 4 cm squares with a knife or pizza wheel, then cut each square in half diagonally into 2 triangles. Repeat with the other pieces and re-roll the trimmings once.
- Dust two 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pans with semolina. Spread the triangles in a single layer and separate any that touch. You'll have about 160 to 200 triangles.
- Bring 4 L of water to a boil in a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot and add 2 tbsp coarse salt. While it heats, melt 80 g butter in a 30 cm / 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 12 sage leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter foams, turns pale gold, and smells nutty and the leaves crisp. Take the skillet off the heat.
- Add the triangles to the boiling water and stir gently once. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and are tender with a slight chew. Scoop out 120 ml of the pasta water, then lift the triangles out with a spider.
- Add the triangles to the skillet with 60 ml of the pasta water and set it over medium-low heat. Toss for 30 to 40 seconds until the butter coats each piece, adding a spoonful more water if it looks tight. Stir in half of the 50 g smoked ricotta, divide among warm bowls, and top with the remaining ricotta and black pepper.
Notes
- Weigh both flours, since buckwheat packs unevenly in measuring cups.
- Rest the dough for the full 30 minutes so the buckwheat can hydrate.
- Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender with a slight chew.
- Add 1 minute to the boiling time when cooking frozen triangles.
Tips for Success
- Weigh both flours on a scale, because buckwheat packs unevenly in measuring cups and a heavy scoop gives a dry, cracking dough.
- Roll each piece to about 2 mm, thin enough to faintly see your fingers through it, so the triangles cook in 3 to 4 minutes.
- Dust the cut triangles with semolina and spread them in a single layer on the sheet pans so the edges stay separate.
- Stir the water gently once after adding the triangles, then lift them out with a spider so a little cooking water follows into the skillet.
- Take the skillet off the heat as soon as the butter turns pale gold and smells nutty, since dark butter tastes bitter next to buckwheat.
Variations
- Toss the triangles with sautéed Savoy cabbage and diced speck instead of sage butter for a heartier winter bowl.
- Fold in toasted walnuts and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for a brighter finish and some crunch.
- Drop the raw triangles into simmering borlotti bean soup for the last 4 minutes to make a thick, soup-style pasta e fagioli.
Storage and Reheating
Uncooked blecs keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours on a semolina-dusted tray under a clean towel. For longer storage, freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan for 1 hour, then bag them for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen and add 1 minute to the boiling time.
Cooked blecs in sage butter keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them in a 28 cm / 11-inch skillet over medium-low heat with 2 tbsp water, stirring gently for 3 to 4 minutes until steaming. The butter re-emulsifies and the triangles soften again.
The dough itself can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
Serving Suggestions
Serve blecs in warm shallow bowls straight from the skillet, with the remaining smoked ricotta and fresh black pepper on top. The butter cools quickly, so plate them as soon as they’re tossed.
A dry Friulano or Ribolla Gialla suits the nutty buckwheat. On the side, a radicchio salad with a sharp vinegar dressing cuts through the butter.
As a primo, follow it with grilled sausages or roast pork and a simple vegetable side. For a lighter dinner, the pasta and the salad are enough.
FAQ
Why is my blecs dough crumbly and dry after kneading?
Buckwheat flour absorbs water slowly, so the dough feels dry at first and softens as it rests. Wrap it for the full 30 minutes before adding anything. If it still cracks when you press it, knead in 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time until it feels smooth and firm.
Can I use all buckwheat flour instead of the wheat flour for blecs?
Not for this recipe. Pure buckwheat has no gluten, so a thin dough tears when you roll it and the triangles fall apart in boiling water. You can go up to 150 g buckwheat and 150 g 00 flour for a darker, earthier pasta. Add a teaspoon or two of extra water and roll to about 2.5 mm.
Can I freeze blecs friulani before cooking them?
Yes, they freeze well uncooked. Spread the floured triangles in a single layer on a sheet pan, freeze for 1 hour, then bag them for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen in salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, without thawing, so they don’t turn gummy.
What sauce goes with blecs friulani besides sage butter?
Sautéed Savoy cabbage with diced speck is a good match, since it keeps the mountain flavors. Mushrooms in butter with a little thyme also work, and so does a borlotti bean sauce. Keep sauces light and fat-based, because a heavy tomato sauce overwhelms the buckwheat.
Are blecs friulani gluten free?
No, this version isn’t gluten free. Buckwheat has no gluten, but the 200 g of 00 flour in the dough does. A gluten-free flour blend can replace the wheat, though the dough is more fragile, so roll it a bit thicker and handle the triangles gently when they come out of the water.
What is the difference between blecs and pizzoccheri?
Blecs are small triangles or diamonds from Friuli, while pizzoccheri are short ribbons from Valtellina in Lombardy. Pizzoccheri dough usually has a higher share of buckwheat and comes with cabbage, potatoes, and melted cheese. The blecs here use one part buckwheat to two parts wheat, so they’re lighter.
