Valtellina manfrigole: rustic crepes filled with Casera cheese and bresaola, a traditional one-dish meal from the Upper Valtellina

Manfrigole: Pancakes from Upper Valtellina

02/11/2026

Today, together with our Cesarini Umberto and Fabrizio from Tresivio in the province of Sondrio, we explore a typical dish from Upper Valtellina, perfect for brightening a dinner with friends on cold winter evenings: Valtellina manfrigole.

Manfrigole are rich pancakes filled with melting cheese and bresaola, and they stand out from classic pancakes because of their darker color, given by the addition of buckwheat flour in the batter.
As you can already guess, manfrigole are far from a diet dish, but they are so tasty that they absolutely justify a little indulgence!
Their name comes from the local dialect word “Mänfrìguli,” which means “rubbed between the hands.” They are a dish of peasant origin that can also be prepared in advance, making them especially convenient when you have guests.

So are you ready to take this journey north and bring a hearty dish to the table that you will never tire of preparing?

Manfrigole (Pancakes from Upper Valtellina)

Rustic buckwheat pancakes filled with melting cheese and bresaola

Preparation time1h

Cooking time25m

Servings4

Ingredients

For the pancake batter:
150 ml milk
3 eggs
100 g white flour
140 g buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
For the filling:
60 g butter
60 g white flour
400 ml fresh milk
500-600 g Casera DOP cheese
150 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
250 g Valtellina bresaola
Nutmeg to taste
Pepper to taste

Method

For the pancakes:

Place the flours in a bowl, then slowly pour in the fresh milk while whisking.
Continue mixing, then add the oil and eggs.
Pour a ladle of batter into a pre-oiled non-stick pan and cook thin golden pancakes on both sides; it will take just a few minutes.
Set aside the cooked pancakes and prepare the béchamel.

For the béchamel:

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the flour and whisk vigorously until smooth.
Add the fresh milk and bring to a boil while stirring to prevent sticking.
Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Preparing the manfrigole:

Lay the pancakes on a work surface, spread a thin layer of béchamel, then sprinkle with diced Casera DOP cheese, a little grated cheese, and a few slices or strips of bresaola.
Carefully roll the pancake and cut it into 3-4 pieces depending on the desired size (ideally 4-5 cm).
Place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with a little grated cheese, and add small butter flakes.
Bake the manfrigole in a preheated static oven at 190-200°C for 20-25 minutes.