Fried Lasagna

The History Of Lasagna

It’s time for dinner, your stomach rumbles and like any good pasta-lover, you decide to treat yourself and go to dinner at Bravo! When you arrive, you are immediately overcome with the aroma of Bolognese simmering for hours and hours to perfection, the scent of fresh-baked focaccia bread and the delightful sounds of families enjoying a meal together. You peruse the menu looking at all of the amazing Italian delicacies, but that little voice inside your head keeps whispering, “Lasagna, order lasagna!” And how can you argue with that voice? You give in, order Mama’s Lasagna Bolognese, and instantly feel satisfied with your wise decision. Hungry yet? As we pay homage to this incredible dish this week, we not only wanted to talk about how amazing lasagna is, but also look into the history of this delicious dish.

You may not know this, but technically, Lasagna did not originate in Italy as you may expect. Its origin can be traced way back to Ancient Greece. The name Lasagna, or “Lasagne” is derived from the Greek word ‘Laganon’; the first known form of pasta. Laganon was not a traditional lasagna as we know it with traditional Italian ingredients, but it was composed of layers of pasta and sauce. So it basically got its name from the method in which it was made, not for its ingredients.

Fast-forward a few centuries…Many countries have debated for years who came up with the first lasagna recipe. Of course, Italy claims they were the first, but really should be credited for perfecting the layers and layers of deliciousness that is lasagna. In fact, researchers in Britain found a cookbook with a lasagna recipe that dates back to the 1390’s, staking their claim to the first lasagna.

To recap, the name can be traced back to Ancient Greece, the first recipe to Britain and generations of perfecting the dish to Italy! Regardless of who can claim the lasagna fame, we are grateful to whoever is responsible for passing this recipe on through the centuries! MANGIA!