Lasagna is a type of pasta made from durum wheat, often layered with meats, cheeses, and tomato sauce. The name comes from the Greek word for “chamber pot” and was traditionally layered in a Roman lasagna dish. It is popular worldwide and can be frozen for later use.
Lasagna is both a type of pasta and a dish made with that pasta; when pluralized, lasagna noodles are known as “lasagne.” Lasagna is long, flat, wide noodles that are ideal for layering in a baking dish to make a sort of pasta pie with an assortment of ingredients that can include meats, cheeses, and tomato sauce. Most markets carry lasagna noodles, often in an assortment of flavors including spinach, whole wheat, and plain, and making the baked pasta dish that calls for these noodles is easy enough.
The history of the name of these noodles is actually quite interesting. “Lasagna” comes from the Greek lasanon, which means “chamber pot”. The Romans borrowed the word to refer to similarly shaped pots, and eventually the word came to be used to refer to the noodles that were traditionally layered in a lasanum, a Roman lasagna dish. Many people aren’t aware of the humble origins of this popular Italian food’s name, which means you can trot to your next dinner party and look impressive.
In Italy, lasagna is totally flat, while American lasagna tends to be ruffled around the edges to help trap the sauces. The best noodles are made from durum wheat, an especially hard grain that stands up to prolonged cooking, remaining chewy and tough even after boiling and cooking. Some cooks prefer to use special no-boil lasagna noodles, which are layered in a lasagna pan without being precooked. The moisture in the lasagna and the heat from the oven cook these noodles so they’re finished along with the rest of the lasagna.
There are numerous lasagna recipes used around the world, as this Italian dish has caught on in many nations. All of these recipes involve alternating layers of lasagna with sauces, cheeses, and other ingredients. A lasagna can contain spinach, eggplant, tomato sauce, meat and cheeses such as mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan. Many cooks develop their own lasagna specialties, and this dish often appears at potlucks and family dinners, as it’s easy to crowd out.
An entire lasagna can also be assembled and then frozen uncooked, allowing the cook to prepare the lasagna to their liking. Frozen lasagna can be a useful tool in the culinary arsenal in a busy household, as a cook can assemble two lasagnas, cook one and freeze the other to prepare on a busy day. Lasagna is often brought to post-surgery patients and bereaved families so they can eat nutritious home-cooked meals effortlessly.
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