Vincisgrassi is a hearty lasagna from the Marche region of Italy. Filled with a mix of pork, beef and chicken, this lasagna is sure to please meat lovers!
The recipe uses fresh pasta, which you can learn the basics of making here. For in-depth instruction, check out our Homemade Pasta Guide!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Makes a 2-quart lasagna.
For this recipe, you will need:
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10 oz. (285g) pork loin, cubed
- 10 oz. (285g) stew beef chunks
- 6 oz. (170g) chicken breast, cubed
- Salt
- Fresh black pepper
- 1 cup (235ml) white wine
- 1/4 white onion, diced
- 1/2 stalk celery, diced
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 28 oz. (800g) canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with a fork
- 4.5 oz. (130g) chopped chicken gizzards
- 4.5 oz. (130g) chopped chicken livers
- 3 servings fresh egg pasta dough (300g flour/3 eggs)
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/8 cup (500ml) whole milk
- Grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Begin by making the ragù. Bring 4 tbsp up to medium/high temperature in a large pot. Add the pork loin, beef and chicken breast. Sauté until the meat is browned on all sides. Add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, then add 3/4 cup of white wine.
Lower the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the smell of alcohol has dissipated. Stir in the onion, celery, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground cloves, whole peeled tomatoes, and 1 3/4 cup (415ml) water. Bring to a simmer again and cook, partially covered, for 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring 2 tbsp olive oil up to medium temperature in a skillet. Add the chicken gizzards and sauté until the are mostly browned, then add the chicken liver and just a splash of white wine. Cook until the livers are browned, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
When the ragù has cooked for 90 minutes, mix in the chicken giblets and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for later.
While the ragù cooks, prepare the pasta. Working in batches, roll out 3 servings of fresh pasta dough (see how to make it here) into thin, rectangular sheets. You can roll it by hand with a rolling pin or with a pasta machine. Feel free to cut the rectangles into a size that conveniently fits in your baking dish of choice, but don't worry about being too precise as you can always cut pieces smaller to fill in gaps and holes. We recommend cutting pieces about 12x6-inches for maximum convenience while boiling. Lay the rectangles on a clean towel and liberally dust them with flour if they overlap.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Beside it, set up a large bowl filled with cold water. Working with one or two pieces at a time, drop the pasta sheets into the boiling water and cook them for thirty seconds. Carefully remove them with tongs and dip them in the cold water before laying on a clean towel. This time, be sure not to let the sheets overlap as they will irrevocably stick together.
The final preparation needed before assembly is to make a besciamella sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour; it should mix into a paste very quickly. Gradually add the milk while whisking constantly.
Once the milk is in, add 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to whisk over low heat until the besciamella thickens into a gravy-like consistency. Turn off the heat.
Preheat an oven to 395 degrees F (200C).
To assemble the lasagna, begin by spreading a very thin layer of the ragù juices over the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Drizzle this with some besciamella and cover with a layer of pasta. When layering the pasta, cut small pieces to fill in any gaps.
On top of the pasta, spread a thick layer of ragù, followed by a generous drizzle of besciamella and a sprinkling of grated pecorino cheese. Add another layer of pasta and repeat until the dish is full to the brim, finishing with ragù, besciamella and cheese on top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned and crispy. If the top browns long before 45 minutes is up, simply cover it with aluminum foil and continue cooking.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Buon appetito!