Macerata, · Marche Techniques

The saffron-yellow fish stew of Porto Recanati on the Marche Adriatic coast — the most golden and aromatic of all Italian brodetti, distinguishable by its mandatory use of saffron from Navelli (L'Aquila) and the local catch of mazzola (gurnard), seppia (cuttlefish), gamberoni (large prawns), and the prized cicala di mare (mantis shrimp). Unlike the Ancona version which uses wine vinegar, Porto Recanati uses no acid — the saffron's bitter complexity provides the counterbalance. White onion, garlic, olive oil, white wine, and saffron are the only aromatics.

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.

Marche's grand baked pasta — lasagne-like layers of egg pasta with a ragù of chicken livers, chicken giblets, sweetbreads, and prosciutto in a reduced Marsala-butter sauce, alternated with béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano, baked until a deeply bronzed, almost-scorched crust forms on top. Named (legend holds) for Austrian field marshal Alfred III zu Windisch-Graetz whose troops occupied the Marche in the late 18th century. More refined and offal-rich than Bolognese lasagne, with Marsala adding sweet-smoky depth.