Tourists tend to flock to Macerata, a small hilltop city in the eastern Marche region, for two reasons. One is the summer opera festival, and he's his decidedly un-summery seven-layer baked pasta dish known as Vinci Grassi. The dish is a pasta casserole made with black truffles and prosciutto, said Leticia Carducci, one of three brothers who run the 30-seat Osteria dei Fiori, which opened in 1980 on a cobbled street near the main square. , says that it evolved from Princisgra. It was served to local aristocrats in the 18th century. In the province of Marcellate, resourceful housewives made ragu using the meat of various farm animals, including bones and entrails. This is how Isignia and her brother Paolo (they cook; her sister Letizia is the manager) prepare Vinci Grassi, which consists of duck, chicken, rabbit, and a small amount of pork. This is the recipe I created. Dessert wine, vinocot, also plays an important role. Vinocotto is added to the dough that the Carducci family kneads into silky pasta sheets, used to sauté chicken and duck livers, and finally mixed into sauces. A meaty ragu covers the bottom four layers, with the top layer reserved for the nutmeg-flavored béchamel sauce. When baked in the oven, the whole thing has a rustic and luxurious feel, with a hint of smoke. Recommended wine pairing: Gagiore Verdicchio di Materica 2021. —VB
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Setch: What is Vinci Grassi? I have never eaten it.
Coradin: This is the original lasagna of Macerata. One theory is that it was named after an Austrian officer named Windisch Graetz who was stationed in the province of Macerata in the early 1800s.
Moyer Notch: Lasagna has become a specific dish associated with a specific location. Macerates don't like to call their dish lasagna, but it's also a rich, layered pasta dish.
Parda: There were no computers when these dishes were created [people didn’t sit all day] And there's no radiator either. They kept warm with fire, but they also kept warm with food. They burned calories to stay warm. People ate only one meal each day.
Moyer Notch: Historically, we only ate these things once or twice a year. You don't choose these dishes from the menu every day. In the meantime, you'll be more frugal with things like cabbage, beans, and leafy greens.
Parda: Someone once said to me, “Why don't you make traditional pasta a little lighter?” But that's not the right way to respect the cuisine. You can reduce the amount, but the flavor must be maintained.
Photo editor: Lauren Poggi
Research Editor: Alexis Sottile
Copy editor: Magnus Schaefer
