Today, almost everywhere on the planet, people know lasagna in various forms. It can be made with chicken, minced meat, vegetables, tuna, or other vegetables, making it a common pasta in any restaurant menu. However, to uncover the origins of this ancient and traditional dish, we must go back many centuries in human history. Many food scholars believe that modern lasagna was created in Italy, but there are precedents of a Greek specialty that could be the ancestor of this well-known dish. In Ancient Greece, and later in Roman culture, it was called laganon or laganum, which was the name of the vessel used for cooking. It was a type of unleavened bread layered with a sauce and then cooked in a laganon—an utensil similar to a pot. This preparation is thought to be the first form of pasta known to us.
In Ancient Rome, the philosopher and politician Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) already mentioned in some of his writings his devotion to the "lagum," which consisted of long strips of pasta cooked with legumes and cheese as fillings. It is estimated that by that time, the first machines for rolling out pasta had already been built.
With the evolution of humanity, culinary development also advanced, leading to new cooking techniques. Italian and British cookbooks from the 13th and 14th centuries mention recipes similar to lasagna. The first recipe resembling modern lasagna was introduced by cook Giovan Battista Crisci in his book "Lucerna de corteggiani" (1634), where he included mozzarella in the pasta sheets to be baked later in the oven.
A key ingredient in today's lasagna is tomato sauce, which was only added to the dish in 1881, when it appeared in the book "El Principe dei Cuochi," published in Naples.
Interestingly, despite its close association with Italy, the country that consumes the most lasagna in the world is the United Kingdom. Regarding this high consumption, a British newspaper—The Daily Telegraph—claimed years ago that the dish might have British origins because they discovered a 1390 cookbook with a dedication to King Richard II that mentioned it. Responding quickly, the Italian embassy dismissed this, attaching texts from 1316 where Italian Maria Borgogno described her recipe. The popular belief remains that lasagna in Italy is enjoyed year-round, especially during festivals. In Naples, on Fat Thursday, they serve "Lasagna di Carnevale," which includes fillings like meatballs, sausages, ricotta, mozzarella, and boiled eggs. Despite being a hearty dish usually served hot during the winter months, its widespread popularity means it has its own day in Italy: July 29.
Some interesting variants outside Italy include the Mexican "Pastel Azteca," which replaces pasta layers with tortillas and Bolognese sauce with chili con carne. In Venezuela, they substitute pasta with mashed plantains and call it "Pasticho de Plátano." Regardless of the variant, all types of lasagna always feature the traditional baked cheese on top.
