Marche, central Italy Techniques

Marche's inland adaptation of the porchetta tradition: a whole rabbit (coniglio) deboned except for the hindleg bones, spread flat, and seasoned with wild fennel fronds and seeds, garlic, rosemary, black pepper, salt and a generous amount of rendered lard. The deboned rabbit is rolled tightly over the stuffing and tied at regular intervals to create a uniform cylinder. Slow-roasted in a low oven (160°C) on a rack for 90 minutes, then the heat is raised to 200°C for a final 15 minutes to crisp the skin. Rested 20 minutes before slicing. The wild fennel perfumes the entire interior; the rendered lard keeps the lean rabbit moist throughout the long cook.

The Marche's sfogliata cheese flatbread — distinct from the Umbrian counterpart — is made from a leavened dough enriched with eggs, lard and grated Pecorino or Formaggio di Fossa. The dough is rolled very thin, spread with additional lard and grated Formaggio di Fossa, folded twice like a letter (creating three layers), rolled again and folded once more before the final thin roll-out. This repeated lamination creates a tender, slightly flaky interior with visible cheese pockets throughout. Baked on a flat clay or cast-iron testo (griddle) over moderate heat, turned once, until both sides show dark leopard-spotting. Served warm at Easter and festivals, torn into pieces at the table.

Vino cotto (cooked wine) — a Marche speciality made from must reduced by more than half to a syrupy condiment — is the defining ingredient of this pork loin braise. A tied pork loin is browned all over in olive oil and lard in a heavy casserole, then removed while the soffritto of onion, carrot and celery is built in the same fat. The loin is returned, surrounded by bay leaves and black peppercorns, then bathed in a mixture of vino cotto and white wine. The braise is covered and maintained at the lowest possible simmer for 90 minutes. The cooking liquid, enriched with the pork's juices and the vino cotto's natural sweetness, is reduced and mounted with cold butter as a sauce. The loin is sliced and served over soft polenta or boiled potatoes.

Vincigrassi is the regional lasagne of the Marche — a baked pasta of egg pasta sheets, a rich ragù of chicken livers, sweetbreads, and minced meat, besciamella, and grated Parmigiano. Unlike Bolognese lasagne (all'Emiliana), vincigrassi includes offal in the ragù — specifically chicken livers, prosciutto, and sometimes sweetbreads — which gives the sauce a darker, more complex, more mineral flavour than the pork-and-beef Bolognese ragù. It is named after an Austrian general (Prince Windischgrätz), which commemorates the 1799 Battle of Ancona.

The Marche's defining baked pasta — predating and distinct from Emilian lasagne. Vincisgrassi uses fresh pasta sheets made with wine (Marsala or Vino Cotto) worked into the dough, giving subtle sweetness and depth. The ragù is bianco (no tomato): chicken and veal offal (livers, hearts, combs) finely chopped and braised with a soffritto, then bound with béchamel and a small amount of truffles or dried porcini. Layers of pasta, ragù bianco and béchamel are assembled in a buttered baking dish; the surface is topped with béchamel, grated Parmigiano and dots of butter. Baked at 180°C for 35–40 minutes until the surface is deeply golden and the interior bubbling.