The great chef Matt was near the Savoy region of France when he explored the area’s local dishes.
This particular one is called ‘La Croziflette’ and has included the most traditional meat recipe and a unique vegetarian version.
Legumes La Croziflette
Savoie crozets are small, square pasta shapes traditionally made with a rich buckwheat and egg pasta dough.
The pasta is cooked al dente and then tossed with chives, leeks, mushrooms, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted peppers, Comte cheese and crème fraîche.
It is then placed on a plate, topped with reblochón cheese and roasted until golden and bubbly.
The finished dish La Croziflette Legumes, which Matt has shared exclusively with MailOnline
This Aplinian dish, ‘La Croziflette’, is similar to the other well-known dish from the French Alps, Tartiflette, which uses potatoes instead of pasta.
Here I have eliminated the traditional meat elements, creating an equally delicious and rich version using vegetables.
These rich, creamy delicious dishes are the perfect meal after a long hike or after a day skiing in the mountains.
I ate mine with a simple tomato salad, but any green salad would be perfect too.
Pasta is available online and this dish never fails to satisfy. It’s pure comfort food at its finest and another great example of great French regional food, but reinvented with a more modern plant-based mindset.
What Matt wore
250 g normal buckwheat and Crozet pasta
6 asparagus, peeled and blanched for one minute
6 mushrooms, sliced
100 ml Macon Chardonnay white wine
2 chives
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
A pinch of Provencal herbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat parsley
200 ml fresh cream (40 percent fat)
200 g Croises tartiflette cheese, sliced
50 g of Comte cheese (12 months)
2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
1 tablespoon Edmond Fallot Tarragon mustard
Telicherry black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 roasted pepper, peeled, seeded and dried
50 g dried tomatoes, drained and cut into cubes
What could you use
250 g small Marconi, small shells or Orzo
4 to 6 stalks of white asparagus
4 to 6 chestnut mushrooms
100ml Pinot Blanc, Gris, Aligote or Chablis
One small onion or shallot, finely chopped
Garlic is optional.
A pinch of dried thyme
A tablespoon of finely chopped chives, basil or dill
Double cream or Creme fraiche (30 percent fat)
200 g Reblochon, Pie d’Angloys or Brie
50 g Gruyere, Raclette, Cantal or Gouda
Dijon mustard, whole wheat or English
2 tablespoons hot water
Any freshly ground black pepper
Sprig of rosemary or sage leaves
100g peppers roasted in oil in a jar
50 g of piquillo peppers from a jar
Method (2 portions, cooking time 15 minutes, oven 200c)
1. Cook pasta in boiling water until al-dente or according to package instructions.
2. Drain the pasta and reserve a few tablespoons of the pasta water for later.
3. While the pasta is cooking, sweat the spring onion, leek, bay leaves and herbs in a teaspoon of butter and olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat until translucent for five minutes.
4. Add the garlic and sweat for another minute.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes until they soften.
Sweat the spring onion, leek, bay leaves and herbs in a teaspoon of butter and olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
Form layers of pasta with the blanched asparagus and place in a deep plate.
6. Add the wine and reduce until almost evaporated, remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves and herb sprouts.
7. Add the dried tomatoes, diced peppers, parsley, a teaspoon of mustard and fresh cream.
8. Add the drained pasta, mix until combined and add a tablespoon or two of pasta water if necessary to help create a smooth consistency.
9. Layer the pasta with the blanched asparagus.
11. Put in the oven for 10 minutes at 200c
12. Then place on a hot grill until bubbling and golden brown.
13. Let it rest before serving and then enjoy.
La Croziflette Savoyarde
Savoie crozets are small square pasta shapes, traditionally made with a rich buckwheat and egg pasta dough.
The pasta is cooked al dente and mixed with cold cuts such as bacon, Morteau or Didot sausages, Jambon cru Savoie smoked ham and fresh cream.
It is then placed on a plate covered with reblochon cheese and roasted until golden and bubbly.
The finished dish La Croziflette Savoyarde, which Matt has shared exclusively with MailOnline
This alpine dish ‘La Croziflette’ is similar to the other well-known dish from the French Alps, Tartiflette, which uses potatoes instead of pasta.
These rich, creamy delicious dishes are the perfect meal after a long hike or after a day skiing in the mountains.
I ate mine with a simple tomato salad, but any green salad would also be perfect or some steamed vegetables on the side would be perfect.
Pasta is available online and this dish never fails to satisfy. It’s pure comfort food at its finest.
What Matt wore
250 g normal buckwheat and crozet pasta
100g smoked bacon lardons
150 g Morteau or Diot sausages, diced
100 g Foret Noir Jambon cru smoked ham
100 ml Macon Chardonnay white wine
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
A pinch of Provencal herbs
A tablespoon of finely chopped flat parsley
200 ml fresh cream (40 percent fat)
200 g Croises tartiflette cheese, sliced
50 g of Comte cheese (12 months)
1 tablespoon Edmond Fallot Tarragon mustard
2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
Telicherry black pepper
3 bay leaves
What could you use
250g small macaroni pasta, small shells or Orzo
100 g of natural or streaky bacon or pancetta
150g of any cooked and smoked sausage
100 g Parma, Serrano or Black Forest ham
100ml Pinot Blanc, Gris Aligote or Chablis
1 onion, leek or chive finely chopped
Garlic is optional.
A pinch of dried thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, basil or dill
Double cream
200 g Reblochon, Pie d’Angloys or Brie
50 g Gruyere, Raclette, Cantal, Gouda
Dijon mustard, whole wheat or English
2 tablespoons hot water
Any freshly ground black pepper
Sprig of rosemary or sage leaves
Method (2 portions, cooking time 20-30 minutes, oven 200c)
1. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al’dente or according to package instructions.
2. Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the pasta water.
3. While the pasta is cooking, sauté the bacon pieces in a heavy-based frying pan until lightly browned. Add the shallot and bay leaves, dried or fresh herbs if using, and a tablespoon of butter and cook over medium heat for five minutes.
Cook pasta in boiling water until al’dente or according to package directions.
Sauté the bacon lardons in a heavy based frying pan until lightly browned and add the shallot and bay leaves, dried or fresh herbs and a tablespoon of butter and cook over a medium heat for five minutes.
4. Add the wine and reduce until it is almost evaporated.
5. Add the Morteau sausage and cook for two minutes.
6 Remove from heat
7. Remove the bay leaf and herb sprigs.
8. Add the hot pasta and mix until combined.
9. Add the creme fraiche, mustard, Comte and reserved pasta water, mix lightly until combined, creamy and emulsified, season with black pepper.
10. Cover the pasta with the smoked ham.
11. Top generously with spread reblochon cheese
12. Put in the oven for 10 minutes at 200c
13. Then place under a hot grill until bubbling and golden brown.
14. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving and enjoy.
