Abruzzese chicken liver & mushroom lasagne with truffle

(Vincisgrassi)

Serves 6

This classic Abruzzese dish has developed quite a cult following at Caffé Pendolino. It has become virtually impossible to take off the menu, which is wonderful for a dish made with offal. As with all baked pasta dishes, it can be made with dried pasta sheets, but it is much better if fresh pasta is used. The addition of fresh truffles can take this dish from great to extraordinary, and if you are ever in Italy during mushroom season and have the chance to substitute the portobello mushrooms for fresh porcini, the dish will become something different again, adding a unique meatiness and sublime flavour. Fresh porcini are the king of fresh mushrooms in my book.

100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

400 g (14 oz) chicken livers, cleaned and finely chopped

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

50 g (1¾ oz) butter

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

½ celery stalk, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely diced

1 rosemary sprig, picked

1 teaspoon dried oregano

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) portobello mushrooms, sliced

400 ml (14 fl oz) red wine

400 ml (14 fl oz) good-quality tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

25 g (1 oz) fresh truffle, thinly sliced (see Note)

750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) béchamel sauce

300 g (10½ oz) fresh egg pasta dough, rolled into pasta sheets no thicker than 1 mm (¹/₃₂ inch)

150 g (5½ oz/1½ cups) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). In a large frying pan, heat half of the extra virgin olive oil over high heat and fry the chicken livers until sealed. Remove from the pan, season with the sea salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside.

Heat the butter and remaining extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables, garlic and herbs until the onion and garlic become translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the tomato passata and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sealed chicken livers and truffle oil (if not using fresh truffle). Check seasoning and set aside.

To make the lasagne, grease a 24 x 20 x 5 cm (9½ x 8 x 2 inch) baking dish. Reserve 150 ml (5 fl oz) of the béchamel for the topping. Spread the base with a little of the chicken liver ragù. Place some of the pasta sheets on the bottom of the dish, followed by a quarter of the chicken liver ragù and a quarter of the remaining béchamel. Place some very thin slices of truffle (if not using truffle oil) on top of the béchamel sauce. Repeat three times. Top the lasagne with the reserved béchamel, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and more truffle. Bake for approximately 20–30 minutes or until the cheese has turned golden brown. Serve hot or reheat later.

NOTE: As an alternative to fresh truffle, use 2 teaspoons white truffle oil, plus extra for serving.