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Loading...Vincigrassi is the grand lasagna of Italy's central Marche region, layered with fresh egg pasta, a long-simmered ragù of chicken, pork, and chicken livers, silky béchamel, and Parmigiano. Often called the region's Sunday showpiece, it is richer and more complex than a Bolognese-style lasagna. Plan ahead: the ragù needs time to develop deep flavor, and the lasagna must rest before slicing.
Prep Time60 mins
Cook Time120 mins
Total Time180 mins
Servings6
Yield6 generous servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 640 kcalCalories
- 32 gFat
- 12 gSaturated Fat
- 55 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 6 gSugar
- 34 gProtein
- 720 mgSodium
- 610 mgPotassium
- 290 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 4 mgVitamin C
- 220 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the egg pasta sheets
- 300 g '00' flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk if needed
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch saffron threads (optional, for color)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
For the meat ragù
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 60 g pancetta, finely diced
- 1 small onion, 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks — finely chopped
- 100 g chicken livers, trimmed and chopped
- 250 g ground pork
- 250 g boneless chicken thighs, diced small
- 2 tbsp double-concentrated tomato paste
- 100 ml dry white wine, 400 ml chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, pinch of nutmeg, salt and black pepper
For the béchamel and assembly
- 60 g unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp to butter the dish
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 600 ml whole milk
- Pinch of grated nutmeg and salt, to taste
- 100 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
Directions
- Make the pasta: mound the flour on a work surface, add eggs, olive oil, saffron, and salt, and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into thin sheets (about 1.5 mm) and cut into rectangles roughly 12 x 20 cm; lay on floured tea towels so they do not stick together.
- Prepare the ragù: warm the olive oil in a heavy pot and render the pancetta for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently for 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add the chicken livers and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the ground pork and diced chicken thighs; brown lightly for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook 1 minute, then pour in the wine and let it evaporate. Add the stock, bay leaf, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thick and silky.
- Make the béchamel: melt 60 g butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook 3–4 minutes until thick and smooth. Season with nutmeg and salt.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and blanch the pasta sheets for 30 seconds; drain and lay flat on clean tea towels.
- Assemble in a buttered 22 x 30 cm baking dish: spread a thin layer of ragù, then pasta, then béchamel, then Parmigiano. Repeat for 4–5 layers, finishing with béchamel and a generous shower of Parmigiano.
- Bake at 180 °C / 350 °F for 25 minutes covered with foil, then uncover and bake 10–15 minutes more until the top is deeply golden. Rest 15 minutes before slicing into squares.
Cook’s Notes
- The chicken livers give vincigrassi its signature depth — trim away any bitter green spots before chopping, and do not skip them.
- Rest the baked lasagna at least 15 minutes so the layers set and each square slices cleanly without sliding.
- For a more traditional flavor, replace half the white wine with dry Marsala and add a parmesan rind to the ragù as it simmers.
- Pasta sheets can be made a day ahead: stack them, wrap well, and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before blanching.
- If saffron is omitted, the pasta will still be a pale yellow from the eggs; the saffron simply produces the historical golden hue.
