Macerata, Marche
The grand lasagna of Marche, layered with fresh egg pasta sheets, a slow-braised sauce of chicken giblets (liver, heart, gizzards), Vin Cotto or Marsala, béchamel, and aged pecorino. Older versions include black truffle and sweetbreads. The name may derive from Austrian general Windisch-Graetz, garrisoned in Macerata during Napoleonic wars, though local documentation pre-dates this story. Baked until the top is burnished and edges crisp.
Rich, mineral, mildly gamey from giblets, rounded by béchamel and nutmeg — a feast dish requiring several hours but delivering extraordinary depth
{"Giblet sauce built in stages: gizzards and hearts first (30 min), livers last 5 min to preserve texture","Vin Cotto or aged Marsala deglazes and adds oxidative complexity","Pasta sheets rolled to setting 6 (thin but not translucent), slightly dried before layering","Béchamel made richer with whole milk and a scrape of nutmeg","8–10 layers minimum; top layer pecorino-heavy to form a crust"}
{"A shaving of black Apecchio truffle between layers elevates to restaurant standard","Rest 20 minutes before cutting — layers set and flavours consolidate","The sauce should be slightly wetter than Bolognese as pasta absorbs moisture during baking"}
{"Adding livers too early — they become grainy and bitter","Using chicken breast instead of giblets — loses the mineral depth","Béchamel too thick, creating a gluey lasagna rather than silky layers"}
Cucina delle Marche — Giuseppina Pepe