lasagna

Lasagna in the crinkly American style.

Lasagna (singular, pronounced /la'zan.ja/), also lasagne (plural, pronounced /la'zan.jɛ/), is both a form of pasta in sheets (sometimes rippled, though seldom so in Italy) and also a dish, sometimes named lasagne al forno (meaning "oven-cooked lasagne") made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese, and often ragù (a meat sauce) or tomato sauce. While it is traditionally believed to have originated in Italy ^[1], evidence has come to light suggesting that a very similar meal known as "loseyns" (pronounced 'lasan') was eaten in the court of King Richard II of England in the 14th century.^[2] The recipe was also featured in the first cookbook ever written in England.^[3] However, the claim is far from universally accepted (see the much earlier Roman use of "lasanum" below). The Italian embassy in London particularly speaks out against such theories.^[2]

Lasagne with spinach and cheese

The word "lasagna" is derived from the Greek word "lasanon" meaning chamber pot.^[4][5] The word was later borrowed by the Romans as "lasanum" to mean cooking pot. The Italians then used the word to refer to the dish in which what is now known as lasagna is made. The word lasagna or lasagne (plural) now simply applies to the food itself.^[6] The British (and Italians) generally use the plural "lasagne" to mean both the dish and the pasta while the Americans commonly use the singular "lasagna".

Various recipes call for several kinds of cheese, most often ricotta and mozzarella. The classic Lasagne alla Bolognese uses only Parmigiano Reggiano. Many recipes also add bechamel sauce (besciamella).

A variant is Lasagne verdi (green lasagne) which is the normal egg pasta with spinach added.

Lasagna in popular culture

Lasagna

• Lasagna is the favorite dish of the fictional cat Garfield, whose hunger for it is a recurring feature of the comic strip.
• Lasagna appears in several episodes of the Friends, usually highly appreciated by Joey Tribbiani (an Italian), one of the main characters.
• Singer "Weird Al" Yankovic’s parody of the song "La Bamba" entitled "Lasagna" can be heard on his album Even Worse.

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Lasagna

• Lazanki

References

External links

• Lasagna Video Recipe

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Lasagna

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Lasagna

bat-smg:Lazanėjė

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