ITALIAN LASAGNE

LASAGNE

Lasagna

Lasagna on a plate with the rippled layers of pasta visible.

Lasagna (plural Lasagne) is a classic Italian pasta casserole dish which consists of alternate layers of pasta, cheese, a sauce, and often other ingredients.

Typical of the cuisine of Italy, many regional variations exist.

In some areas, especially in the southern regions of Italy, the sauce is likely to be a simple tomato sauce or a ragù, whereas in other areas, particularly in Northern Italy, a Béchamel sauce is used.

The word applies to both the dish and the sheets of pasta used.

Lasagna is singular, whereas lasagne is plural.

In the UK, as in Italy, the plural term (lasagne) is used for the dish.

Lasagne verdi means "green lasagne" (indicating that the pasta incorporates cooked spinach), and has nothing to do with Giuseppe Verdi.

The word lasagna, which originally applied to a cooking pot, now simply describes the food itself.

Origin

There are two theories on the origin of lasagna, both denoting an ancient Greek dish.

The main theory is that lasagna comes from Greek λάγανον (laganon), a flat sheet of pasta dough cut into strips.

The word λαγάνα (lagana) is still used in Greek to mean a flat thin type of unleavened bread.

The other theory is that the word lasagna comes from the Greek λάσανα (lasana) or λάσανον (lasanon) meaning "trivet or stand for a pot", "chamber pot".

The Romans borrowed the word as "lasanum", in Latin meaning "cooking pot".

The Italians used the word to refer to the dish in which lasagna is made. Later the name of the food took on the name of the serving dish.

A recipe for what was called "loseyns" consisting of layered pasta and cheese was featured in the first cookbook ever published in England during the 14th century, leading some to believe that the dish was first formulated in the British Isles.

Lasagne

Materials:

9 lasagne strips

1/2 lb. of Ricotta cheese

1/3 crumbled Mozzarella cheese 1/2 lb. of Parmesan cheese

2 T. of olive oil

Italian Meat Sauce Ingredient:

1/4 C. of olive oil

1 lb. of ground beef

2 C. of diced tomatoes 2 C. of tomato paste

1/3 C. of beef stock 1 C. of sliced mushrooms

1 T. of fresh basil 1 bay leaf

1 t. of salt 1/4 t. of black pepper

1 T. of chopped garlic

Procedures:

Prepare Italian meat sauce: Heat 1/4 C. of olive oil, add chopped garlic, ground beef, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf.

Simmer the sauce uncover about 1 hour.

Add sliced mushrooms, basil in the last 15 minutes.

Remove and set aside.

Cook strips of lasagne in boiling water and add 2 T. of olive oil. Stir occasionally. Cook about 10-15 minutes. Drain and separate the lasagne strips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread a layer of the sauce, then a layer of pasta, in a rectangle baking dish.

Cover with a sprinkling of each of the three cheese.

Continue to build layers.

Make sure to have enough meat sauce to cover the final layer of the pasta and enough Parmesan cheese to dust the top.

Bake about 30 to 40 minutes.

Let it stands briefly before cutting and serving.