Vincisgrassi
Marche · pasta · serves 8 · 240 min total · hard
Possibly named after the Austrian general Windisch-Graetz who occupied Ancona in 1799 — or possibly older. Either way, more layers than Bolognese lasagne, and richer.
Ingredients
- 500 g egg lasagne sheets
- 200 g chicken livers
- 200 g ground pork
- 120 g prosciutto, diced
- 30 g dried porcini, soaked
- 300 g tomato passata
- 200 ml red wine
- 120 g butter
- 80 g flour
- 1 L milk
- 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Method
- Make ragù: soffritto of onion, carrot, celery. Add prosciutto, then ground pork, brown. Add chopped chicken livers and soaked chopped porcini. Deglaze with wine. Add passata. Simmer 2 hours low.
- Make besciamella: melt half the butter, whisk in flour, cook 2 minutes, slowly whisk in milk, cook 10 minutes thick. Nutmeg, salt.
- Parboil pasta sheets briefly. Drain on damp cloths.
- In a buttered deep tray, layer 8–10 times: pasta, ragù, besciamella, Parmigiano. The Marche style is more layers than Bologna's.
- Top with besciamella and a thick Parmigiano crust. Dot with butter.
- Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 40 minutes. Rest 30 minutes before cutting.