History of Lasagna

In Italy, the dish is referred to as lasagne (plural) as it points to the plurality of the noodles in the dish. Even further back, the word lasagna comes from the Greek word laganon and is known to be the closest thing to pasta that ancient Romans cooked. Based on the earliest written recipe for lasagna, the dish called for a myriad of interesting ingredients such as fish, figpeckers, raisin wine and pignolia nuts. Moreover, the “pasta” was more of a crepe-like concoction than the noodles we enjoy today.

Numerous iterations have taken place over the years – each bringing the recipe a touch closer to the dish we’re familiar with. In the 14th century, it was made with pasta dough, cheese and spices. Next was a version made of eggs, ravioli, cheese and bacon. Different still is a variation made in a region north of Rome; one that is crafted with besciamella (bechamel in French). Considering this is a white lasagna, I definitely support it.

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