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1
Combine the buckwheat flour and the 00 flour on a clean surface or in a large bowl, add the salt, then work in the warm water gradually — warm water rather than cold relaxes the buckwheat so the dough comes together without crumbling. Knead to a firm, cohesive dough; it will be dense and grey. Rest it, covered, for 30 minutes, then roll out to a thickness of 2–3 mm and cut into short, flat strips roughly 7 cm long and 1 cm wide; the dough is ready when it holds its shape without cracking at the edges.
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2
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil, add the potato cubes, and after 5 minutes add the chopped savoy cabbage — staggering the three elements so that pasta, cabbage, and potato all finish at the same moment means nothing is waterlogged or undercooked when they meet in the dish. After a further 3 minutes, add the pizzoccheri. The pasta is cooked when the noodles are tender but retain a faint resistance at the centre — taste a strip to confirm.
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3
While the pasta cooks, warm the serving dish thoroughly in a low oven, or fill it with boiling water and discard that water just before assembly, so the residual heat keeps the cheese fluid long enough to meld into the layers rather than seizing on contact with cold ceramic. The dish must be hot to the touch before assembly begins.
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4
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat, then continue cooking and swirling occasionally until it turns a deep hazelnut colour and smells of toasted nuts — this is where the dish lives or dies, because butter taken too far turns acrid and cannot be corrected, while butter not taken far enough is flat and the dish loses its defining character. Add the whole garlic cloves and whole sage leaves; they will sizzle immediately. Fry until the sage is crisp, then remove and discard the garlic; the correct colour is amber-brown, the correct smell is hazelnut.
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5
Drain the pasta and vegetables together, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water in case the finished dish tightens and needs loosening, then work quickly: layer half the pasta and vegetables into the heated serving dish, distribute half the Casera and half the Bitto over the top, add the remaining pasta and vegetables, then the remaining cheese. Pour the hot brown butter — with the fried sage leaves — over the entire surface and do not stir, so the butter pools and the cheese softens in distinct, visible layers rather than collapsing into a uniform mass. Serve immediately at the table, portioning through all layers so that each plate receives pasta, vegetables, cheese, and butter in one movement.