National Lasagna Day – July 29, 2024

You don’t have to be Italian or a fat, orange cartoon cat to celebrate National Lasagna Day on July 29. With its layers of tomato sauce, cheese, meat, and vegetables between wide flat noodles, what’s not to love? Lasagna first appeared in Naples, Italy during the Middle Ages and made its way to America in the 19th century. Since then, Americans have put their twist on it. So this National Lasagna Day, visit your favorite Italian restaurant or preheat your oven to make your own!

History of National Lasagna Day

The word ‘lasagna’ comes from ancient Greece. It comes from the word ‘laganon’, which referred to the earlier form of pasta made from flattened sheets of dough cut into thin strips. This early version was quite different from the layered lasagna we enjoy today, as it didn’t include the classic Italian ingredients.

A similar dish was made in ancient Rome called ‘lasanum,’ which means pot or container in Latin. Italians used this word for the dish because it was cooked and served in a pot. So, the name ‘lasagna’ actually comes from the cooking method rather than the ingredients used.

The practice of mixing flour and water to make pasta goes back to the Middle Ages, leading to lasagna becoming a popular dish. In 1284, Salimbene di Adam wrote about a chubby friar enjoying lasagna, saying, “I’ve never seen anyone stuffing himself on lasagna with cheese so pleasurably and so fully as him.”

In Northern Italy, lasagna is made with flat noodles, while in Southern Italy, the noodles are rippled, The ingredients used in lasagna often depend on family traditions and regional heritage. This is also when cheese began to be included in the recipe. Adding egg to the dough didn’t become popular until the Renaissance period.

Tomatoes were first added to lasagna in Naples in the 1880s. In the 19th century, Francesco Zambrini from Bologna popularized the layered lasagna style.

During the late 1800s, Italian immigrants brought their lasagna recipes to America, which included béchamel, ragù, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. These recipes were adjusted based on personal preferences, with some adding vegetables to the layers.

Also read, National Vanilla Ice Cream Day – July 23, 2024

5 Interesting Facts About Lasagna

• The “Diamond and Gold” lasagna served at the Mirage in Las Vegas costs $100 per slice.
• ‘Lasagna’ originally referred to the pot used for cooking the dish
• Weird Al Yankovic parodied the song “La Bamba” with his single “Lasagna.”
• The most famous fact about lasagna is that it’s Garfield the cat’s favorite food.
• It might sound crazy, but you can cook lasagna by just assembling the ingredients, sealing the container tightly with aluminum foil, and using the heated dry cycle on your dishwasher.

Frequently Ask Question

Why is Lasagna Important to Italy?

Lasagna is one of the oldest pasta dishes in Italian cuisine, mentioned in medieval literature shortly after Marco Polo returned from Asia. polo even described eating a similar dish in China that he called lasagne, noting that the flour for the noodles was made from breadfruit.

Is Lasagna Unhealthy?

The warm, cheesy layer of lasagna is incredibly comforting, but earing too much can be a problem. Lasagna often has white noodles, lots of cheese, and fatty meat, which means it can be high in calories and not the healthiest option if you eat it too often.

Is Lasagna a Type of Pasta?

Yes, lasagna is a type of pasta. It comes in flat, thin rectangles of dough, and these individual pieces are often called sheets. Whether a recipe calls for lasagna noodles or sheets, that means the same thing: the pasta used to make lasagna.

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