What Marche lasagna variation features mushrooms and offal such as chicken livers? The answer is vincisgrassi.
Vincisgrassi is a traditional pasta dish from the Marche region of central Italy, closely related to lasagna and regarded as one of the region’s gastronomic emblems. Its distinctive character comes from a rich baked preparation that may include mushrooms and offal, especially chicken livers and sweetbreads.
The dish has a dramatic traditional origin story. Its name is often linked to Alfred von Windisch-Grätz, the Austrian general associated with the siege of Ancona in 1799. However, the story is uncertain: an earlier Marche cookbook, Antonio Nebbia’s 1779 Il cuoco maceratese, already described a lasagna called princisgrass.
That earlier reference suggests the dish may predate the general and was later renamed or associated with him. In 2022, vincisgrassi alla maceratese, the version from Macerata, was registered in the European Union as a traditional speciality guaranteed.