The lasagna speaking of the pasta, is a noodle that has an elongated
flat rectangular shape that is porous, specifically designed so it may
coat itself completely and render the most savory sauces of the Italian
tradition, but they are still a perfect match with most homemade sauces!
The lasagna, speaking of the dish, is a preparation usually made from a
recipe with layers of lasagna pasta alternating with cheese and a meat
sauce layers and often some bechamel sauce as well.
The lasagna recipe comes from Northern Central Italy, more specifically
Emilia Romagna.
The Italian word lasagna evolved from the ancient Greek word λάσανα /
Lasana which translates to "unleavened bread". This word was later
picked up by the Romans to designate a cooking pot: the "lasanum". The
Italians then adopted the word to designate the dish which was to
receive the tasty noodles with sauce. Nowadays, the word lasagna
(lasagne in italian plural form) strictly refers to the food itself.
The earliest written references we know of to date are from the
thirteenth century; lasagne recipes from this time did not use tomatoes
yet, as they were still unknown to the Europeans ...
Depending on the lasagna recipe, different cheeses are used, but most of
the time the selection revolves around ricotta, mozzarella and
Parmesan.
But of course we won't stop there on this site... try Gorgonzola,
broccoli and nuts which is innovative in a lasagna and totally delicious