Vincisgrassi is considered a gastronomic emblem of Marche cuisine.
This baked pasta dish is closely related to lasagna but has its own regional identity. Traditional versions from Marche often combine pasta sheets with a rich ragù, béchamel, mushrooms, and meat or poultry offal such as chicken livers and sweetbreads. The result is generally more intensely flavoured than the familiar everyday lasagna.
The dish’s name is traditionally linked to Alfred von Windisch-Grätz, the Austrian general associated with the siege of Ancona in 1799. However, that origin story is not certain. A 1779 cookbook by Antonio Nebbia already described a similar layered pasta called princisgrass, suggesting that the recipe predates or evolved independently of the general’s supposed connection.
The name and recipe also vary: vincesgrassi is an alternate spelling, while vincisgrassi alla maceratese identifies the version associated with Macerata. The European Union registered that Macerata style as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed in 2022.