As the gray months turn Technicolor, people living in northern Italy tend to reflect on some very important questions: Is it too soon to swap coats for jackets? How many times did I hit the slopes this year? And, most importantly—when was the last time I ate bolliti?

Bolliti, a smorgasbord of boiled meats, veggies, and sauces, has been a cornerstone of Northern Italian cuisine since medieval times. While Piedmont lays claim to its most famous renditions, bolliti also thrives in other northern regions such as Veneto, where I first encountered it years ago—and where, just last weekend, I found myself facing it once again.