Vincisgrassi

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Pasta machine or long rolling pin
• •Heavy 6-quart Dutch oven for the ragù
• •33cm x 23cm (13x9 inch) baking dish
• •Food mill for tomatoes
• •Large pot for blanching pasta
• •Clean kitchen towels for drying pasta sheets

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pasta dough

   Mound the flour on a wooden board and make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well. Add the Marsala and salt. With a fork, beat the eggs and gradually draw in flour from the inner walls of the well. When the dough becomes too stiff to work with a fork, use your hands. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

   The Marsala adds a subtle sweetness that distinguishes Vincisgrassi pasta from ordinary egg dough. Vin cotto, the cooked grape must of Le Marche, is traditional but difficult to find. Marsala is an acceptable substitute.
2. 2

   Build the soffritto

   In a heavy Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter foam subsides. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely soft and the onion is pale gold, about 20 minutes. This foundation supports everything. Do not rush it.

3. 3

   Cook the giblets

   Push the soffritto to the sides of the pot. Increase heat to medium-high and add the chicken livers, hearts, and gizzards. Cook, stirring frequently, until the livers are browned outside but still slightly pink within, about 5 minutes. The livers will finish cooking in the sauce. Remove the giblets with a slotted spoon and set aside.

   Clean the livers carefully, removing any green-tinged portions where the bile sac touched. This bitterness cannot be cooked away. Trim the gizzards of their tough outer membranes.
4. 4

   Brown the ground meats

   Add the ground veal and pork to the pot. Break apart with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the meat has lost its raw color and begun to brown. The meat should crumble into small pieces. This takes 15 minutes. Patience here builds flavor.

5. 5

   Add wine and reduce

   Pour in the white wine and stir thoroughly, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer until the wine has evaporated completely. You should no longer smell alcohol. The pot will be nearly dry.

6. 6

   Simmer the ragù

   Return the giblets to the pot. Add the passed tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to the lowest setting. The sauce should cook at the laziest simmer. Partially cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more stock if the sauce becomes too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.

   The ragù should be rich but not wet. It must hold its place between the pasta layers without making them soggy. If the sauce looks thin, simmer uncovered for the final 30 minutes.
7. 7

   Make the béchamel

   In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. The mixture should bubble but not brown. Begin adding the warm milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Add only a little at first, whisking until smooth before adding more. Once all milk is incorporated, cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg and salt. Remove from heat.

8. 8

   Roll the pasta

   Divide the rested dough into 8 pieces. Working with one piece at a time and keeping the rest covered, roll each through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and progressively thinning to the second-thinnest setting. The sheets should be nearly translucent. Cut into rectangles roughly the size of your baking dish. You will need 6 to 7 layers.

9. 9

   Blanch the pasta

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Cook the pasta sheets 2 or 3 at a time for 30 seconds only. Transfer immediately to ice water. Lay the blanched sheets flat on clean kitchen towels, not touching. This step sets the pasta and prevents sticking.

10. 10

    Assemble the vincisgrassi

    Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 33cm x 23cm (13x9 inch) baking dish. Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom. Lay down a pasta sheet, trimming to fit. Spread a thin layer of ragù, then béchamel, then a generous handful of Parmigiano. Repeat, building 6 to 7 layers. The final layer should be béchamel topped with the remaining cheese and dots of cold butter.

    Keep the layers thin. This is not a dish where more sauce means better. The beauty of vincisgrassi lies in the many delicate layers, each distinct.
11. 11

    Bake until golden

    Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deeply golden with brown spots and the edges bubble. The pasta should be just tender when pierced with a knife, not soft, not chewy. Let rest 15 minutes before cutting. This rest is essential. Cut into squares and serve on warmed plates.

Chef Tips

• •Finding chicken giblets requires asking your butcher. Supermarket packages rarely include hearts and gizzards. A butcher who breaks down whole chickens will have them. Ask specifically for livers, hearts, and gizzards, and request them cleaned if possible.
• •The pasta must be thin. If using a hand-crank machine, roll to setting 6 or 7. If rolling by hand, you should be able to see your hand through the sheet. Thick pasta makes the dish heavy and coarse.
• •In Le Marche, some families add black truffle shavings between the layers when truffles are in season. This is a worthy addition if you have access to genuine Italian black truffles. The canned truffle products sold in most stores are not worth the money.
• •This is not a dish that improves the next day. The pasta layers absorb moisture and lose their distinction. Serve it the day it is made.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragù can be made two days ahead and refrigerated. It improves with time. Reheat gently before assembling.
• •The pasta dough can be made the morning of and refrigerated, wrapped tightly. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
• •The béchamel can be made several hours ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Rewarm gently before using.
• •Once assembled, the dish should be baked immediately. Do not refrigerate the assembled vincisgrassi expecting to bake it later. The pasta will absorb the sauces and become gummy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)