Lasagna | Italian Origins, Ingredients, Cooking Styles, & Types (2024)

lasagna, pasta dish of Italian origin, made with broad often ruffled noodles and a tomato or white sauce.

Lasagna, in the singular, is a southern Italian variation of what northern Italians call lasagne, in the plural. The name is believed to come from a Latin word for cooking pot, lasanum, though some etymologies trace it to the Greek flatbread called laganon, known in Italy since at least the time of Augustus Caesar (63 bce−14 ce). Lasagna in its modern form, made of a meat sauce much like ragù Bolognese that is layered with noodles and béchamel (besciamella or balsamella) sauce, is believed to have originated in the province of Emilia-Romagna. Variations abound throughout Italy: the lasagna served in Naples, for example, usually contains small meatballs, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and sliced hard-boiled eggs, while that served in Genoa uses pesto as its sauce. Some recipes use sausage as well as other types of ground meat; others incorporate mushrooms into the ragù.

Lasagna | Italian Origins, Ingredients, Cooking Styles, & Types (2)

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American lasagna—the southern term is generally used, since most Italian Americans trace their origins to southern Italy—tends to follow the Neapolitan template, but with many variations. A vegetarian version, for example, will replace meat with spinach and sometimes other vegetables such as peppers and squash. Noodles known in Italy as lasagne verdi are made with spinach as an ingredient.

Making lasagna is a more labour-intensive process than that required of most other pastas. The lasagna noodles are cooked al dente (firm but not hard) and then drained and cooled, so they can be handled. In an ovenproof dish, a layer of tomato sauce is spooned in and then overlaid lengthwise by a layer of overlapping noodles. To this are added layers of meat sauce, cheese, béchamel, or other ingredients, overlaid by another layer of noodles, and repeated. Italian chefs hold that a lasagna must have a minimum of three layers of noodles, though four layers are more common. The assembled lasagna is then baked at 350 °F (180 °C) for about half an hour. In order to keep the lasagna moist as it cooks, most chefs place a covering of aluminum foil over the dish.

Lasagna is considered one of the oldest pasta dishes in Italian cuisine, attested to in medieval literature soon after Marco Polo returned from his travels in Asia. Polo himself recounts eating a dish in China that he called lasagne, noting that the flour used for the noodles was from breadfruit.

Gregory Lewis McNamee

Lasagna | Italian Origins, Ingredients, Cooking Styles, & Types (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of lasagna? ›

Lasagna first made is a grand entrance in Naples, Italy during the Middle Ages in the 14th century. Initially, this dish was reserved for special events and holidays. Ironically, this pleasure inducing food was introduced to Italians in the middle of the Black Plague.

What is classic lasagna made of? ›

Remember, it goes: noodles, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella. You should have enough of all of the fillings to make four complete layers, and then top the lasagna off with a layer of noodles, the last of the sauce and a combo of mozzarella and Parmesan.

What is the difference between American lasagna and Italian lasagna? ›

The primary differences I found between American lasagne and Italian lasagne were: The use of a layer or two of white bechamel (“"besciamella”) sauce imparts a nice creaminess to the lasagne in Italy. The pasta sheets seemed thinner and “fresher” in Italian pasta, very tender and with a “"melt in your mouth” texture.

What are two facts about lasagna? ›

Facts Everyone Should Know About The History Of Lasagna
  • The history of Lasagna goes back to the 14th century and its origin story is full of conflicts. ...
  • It is thin layers of pasta dough made up of wheat flour, egg and spinach and between each layer of the sheets, there is béchamel and ragu sauce which makes it tastier.
Aug 20, 2020

Where was lasagna originally made? ›

Modern day lasagna, the richly layered dish swimming in sumptuous tomato sauce, made its debut in Naples, Italy, during the Middle Ages. Laboriously crafted and fit for a crowd, lasagna was savored on special occassions.

What is the origin of pasta? ›

As early as the fourth century BC, the story of pasta takes shape in Italy. There is archeological evidence for the existence of pasta in the Etruscan civilization, which flourished in the regions we now call Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany.

What is lasagna made of in Italy? ›

In southern Italy lasagna is generally made with dried sheets of pasta layered with rich meat ragú, ricotta and mozzarella. In the north, especially in Bologna, the most popular version of lasagna features fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with ragú, bechamel and Parmigiano Reggiano.

What is the difference between lasagna and lasagne? ›

In Italian, lasagna is the singular form of the noun, referring to a single flat sheet of the pasta, while lasagne is the plural form and thus the go-to word for the whole dish, which is made up of many sheets of pasta.

What are the ingredients in no name lasagna? ›

Ingredients: Water, Pasta (water, Durum Wheat Semolina, Wheat Gluten),crushed Tomatoes, Diced Tomatoes (tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid,calcium Chloride), Beef, Mozzarella And Parmesan Cheeses (milk), Onions,modified Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Garlic, Olive Oil, Beef Base (salt,yeast Extract, Sugar, Corn ...

Is lasagna different in Italy? ›

It's just two different types/variations of lasagne. They've both been around forever. Ricotta is traditionally used in Naples, bechamel is traditionally used in Bologna.

What is lasagna called in Italy? ›

Lasagna is an Italian word, and refers to the square sheet of pasta used to make LASAGNE. All the pasta dishes have a plural name. Spagetti, penne, maccheroni, trofie, fettuccine are all plural nouns. So lasagna in Italian is LASAGNE, if you refer to the dish.

Is lasagna originally Italian? ›

lasagna, pasta dish of Italian origin, made with broad often ruffled noodles and a tomato or white sauce. Lasagna, in the singular, is a southern Italian variation of what northern Italians call lasagne, in the plural.

Is lasagna healthy yes or no? ›

The classic lasagna trio - cheese, pasta, and rich sauces - often contributes to its high calorie and carbohydrate content. These ingredients, while delicious, can be heavy in fats and refined carbs, which may not align with certain dietary goals.

Is lasagne a male or female? ›

In the Italian language, lasagna is singular; lasagne is plural. In English, we normally just add an "s" to make a word plural. In Italian, nouns and adjectives are designated as masculine or feminine. The plural for lasagna, a feminine noun, changes the "a" to "e".

Who originally invented lasagne? ›

The true origin of lasagna is in Ancient Greece, where according to Mi'Talia, a dish called laganon was popular. Laganon, as it happens, was the first pasta, made from sheets of dough cut into thin strips.

Is lasagna American or British? ›

Lasagna, famed worldwide, has ancient origins and remains an Italian superstar dish. Basically, lasagna is a baked casserole made with wide flat pasta and layered with fillings such as ragú, bechamel, vegetables and various cheeses. Unsurprisingly, every Italian region has its own traditional recipe.

Was lasagna invented in Italy? ›

Lasagna originated in Italy during the Middle Ages.

Did lasagna originate in Greece? ›

Lasagna may have had its roots in Greece and its first incarnations in Britain, but it's the dish's popularity in Italy that helped it to truly develop. During the 16th century, Italian people were crazy about lasagna, and incorporated it into both sweet and savory dishes as needed.

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