Happy National Lasagna Day!
Today is National Lasagna Day and we are cheesin’ with excitement! In honor of such a special day, we decided to take a deeper look into the origin story of this delicious day. How did lasagna come about and where was it first created? Well, you’ve come to the right place to find out!
Like many of mankind’s finest creations, the origins of Lasagna can be traced back to Ancient Greece. The name lasagna, is derived from the Greek word laganon, the first known form of pasta. Laganon was nowhere near a traditional lasagna, but its name comes from its layers of pasta and sauce, similar to how lasagna is prepared today.
Modern day lasagna dates back to the Middle Ages, where it was first made in Naples, Italy. The original recipe was layered with sausage, meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and sauced with Neapolitan Ragu, a meat sauce born in the city. The first recorded recipe could be found in one of the world’s oldest medieval cookbooks, the 14th-century “The Book of Cookery,” showcasing a fermented dough flattened into a thin sheet, boiled, and sprinkled with cheese and spices, and eaten with a small-pointed stick.
Other variations of lasagna were created around Italy, and the varying concepts were brought to America by Italian Immigrants. For example, Lasagna el forno is credited to the region of Emilia-Romagna, layered with a thicker ragu, made from carrots, onions, finely ground pork and beef, butter, and tomatoes. The recipe also features Bechamel, also known as white sauce, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It’s the first lasagna dish to be traditionally green, due to the mixing of spinach and other vegetables in its dough.
Traditionally, lasagna is a dish of much variety. But no matter how you prepare it you can’t go wrong with this Italian classic. Stop by your local Price Chopper and Market 32 for all of your lasagna essentials today, and enjoy a tasty family meal for dinner tonight!
Sources: https://www.pagliacci.com/blog/news/post/a-brief-history-of-lasagna https://viaverdimiami.com/the-history-of-lasagna/