For the Buckwheat Pasta

  1. Preheat the broiler in your oven, or turn the oven as high as it can go.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it generously. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 7 minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon. In the same water, blanch the chard and cabbage for about 2 minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon. Finally, boil the fresh pasta in the same water until al dente, about 2 minutes.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, place the butter, garlic cloves, sage leaves, and ¼ cup of the pasta water in a large, wide nonreactive pan. Melt slowly over low heat, swirling the butter and water into a sauce and stirring frequently; do not boil. After a few minutes, discard the garlic and shut off the heat. Salt lightly, to taste.
  4. When the pasta is al dente, add the potatoes and cabbage back into the boiling water for a second to briefly reheat. Drain the pot into a colander, reserving a small amount of pasta water. Add the pasta and vegetables to the pan with butter sauce, and toss to coat. There should be slightly more than enough sauce to coat it all; if not, add a little of the extra pasta water to loosen it up. Finally, add all of the Taleggio and ½ cup of the Parmesan to the pan; toss once or twice, only enough to mix. Scoop everything into an ovenproof dish. Top the pasta with the remaining ½ cup Parmesan and broil until the cheese is melted and begins to brown on top, about 2 minutes. Serve with freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Optional: Though it is not traditional, adding 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to the pasta and vegetables, along with the butter sauce, lightens the final dish.