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Marchigian Vincisgrassi

17/11/2023

Vincisgrassi is an iconic dish from the Marche region, a sort of very rich lasagna, prepared with various layers of egg pasta, ragù, béchamel sauce, and mushrooms. Here is the traditional recipe:

Ingredients

  • For the egg pasta:
    • 400 g of “00” flour
    • 4 eggs
  • For the ragù:
    • 300 g of ground beef
    • 200 g of ground pork
    • 100 g of minced chicken livers (optional)
    • 70 g of minced pancetta
    • 1 onion
    • 1 carrot
    • 1 celery stalk
    • 500 ml of tomato passata
    • Red wine, as needed
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt and pepper
  • For the béchamel:
    • 100 g of butter
    • 100 g of flour
    • 1 l of milk
    • Nutmeg
    • Salt
  • 100 g of dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in hot water and squeezed out) or fresh
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, as needed
  • Oil for greasing the baking dish

Preparation

Egg pasta:

  1. Mix the flour with the eggs until you get a smooth dough and let it rest.
  2. Roll out the dough into thin sheets, then cut them to the size of the pan you will use.

Ragù:

  1. Prepare the sauté by chopping the onion, carrot, and celery and frying them in extra virgin olive oil together with the pancetta.
  2. Add the ground meats and livers, browning over high heat.
  3. Deglaze with red wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
  4. Add the tomato passata, adjust for salt and pepper, and cook over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Béchamel:

  1. Melt the butter in a small pot, add the flour and stir quickly.
  2. Gradually add the hot milk, avoiding the formation of lumps.
  3. Bring to a boil, add salt and grated nutmeg, and cook until it thickens.

Assembly:

  1. Grease a baking dish and spread a little béchamel on the bottom.
  2. Make a layer of egg pasta, one of ragù, one of mushrooms, one of béchamel, and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
  3. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used up, finishing with béchamel and Parmesan.
  4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30 minutes, until the surface is golden and crispy.

Let the Vincisgrassi rest for a few minutes before serving, so they settle and can be cut more easily.

Curiosity

Legend has it that the name “Vincisgrassi” derives from the Austrian general Windisch-Graetz, who during his stay in the Marche in the 18th century fell in love with this dish, then known as “princisgrass”. Over the years, the name transformed into its current version.