About Lasagna

Lasagna is an Italian casserole dish made up of layers of pasta sheets, meats, cheese and tomato sauce. While Americans call it lasagna, it is called lasagne in Italy. The name lasagna originally derived from the pot that was used to cook the dish.

Misconceptions

While lasagna is attributed to Italian cuisine, the word "lasagna" is Greek and means "cooking pot." It is also possible that the word could also be attributed to the Greek word "laganon," which means "a flat sheet of pasta cut into strips." While we do not know how old the dish is, the recipe was found in the first cookbook written in England, so many people thought it was an English dish.

Types

Traditional lasagna ingredients

There are many variations of lasagna. The most traditional recipe involves ricotta and mozzarella cheese, meat sauce and pasta. Other popular versions include spinach lasagna, and eggplant lasagna. You can also make vegetarian and seafood versions.

Identification

Lasagna

You will recognize lasagna by the layers of pasta with cheese, sauce, and meats or vegetables in between each layer of pasta. Fresh out of the oven, you will see a bubbly brown layer of cooked cheese.

Expert Insight

Meat sauce

Lasagna is actually quite simple to make. There are numerous recipes you can use to guide you but you basically need lasagna noodles, cheeses and meat sauce. Once you can make a good meat sauce, you can make a good lasagna.
It's a good idea to make more than one lasagna so that you can cook several meals at once. Also, lasagna tastes better the next day after the dish has had a chance to sit.

Significance

Lasagna is a signature dish in Italian restaurants and is served at most holiday dinners and for special occasions. While it is known as an Italian dish, many Americans have adopted it as their own and it is cooked regularly in American households. Lasagna is also a very good casserole dish to cook for people who need food brought to them for occasions of mourning, or the birth of a new child.