Modern lasagna is a couple of layers of dried and then boiled or baked wheat dough, interspersed with a variety of fillings - from minced meat to vegetable or mushroom stew, then the dish is sprinkled with grated cheese and baked in the oven.

But lasagna was not always like this. The ancestor of lasagna was a flat round cake made from wheat bread. The Greeks baked such a flatbread and called it laganon.

The Romans, who then adopted their bread from the Greeks, began to cut it into strips and call it lagani, i.e. laganon plural. Until now, in some regions of Italy (Calabria, for example), wide flat pasta, known throughout the world as tagliatelle, is also called lagana.

According to the second etymological version, the word “lasagna” comes from the Greek lasanon, which means “pot oven”.

The Romans borrowed this word, reincarnating it as lasanum, which was the name for the dishes in which the “ancestors” of lasagna were prepared. Gradually, the name of the dish passed on to the dish itself.

This is how lasagna was born. And despite the fact that it is now generally accepted that lasagna is authentically Italian, the British and even the Scandinavians are trying to defend its ancestry!

The version of British origin is based on the fact that a similar dish, “loseyns” (pronounced “lasan”), existed at the court of King Richard II back in the 14th century.

The British claim that a unique lasanne recipe can be found in one of the first British cookbooks, “Forme of Cury,” which is kept in the English Museum.

Such a brave and arrogant statement struck a nerve among the Italians, the Italian consulate in London even hastened to make a statement: “No matter what this old British dish was called, it was definitely not the lasagna we make.”

Yes, Italians are very jealous when it comes to national cuisine... True, they practically did not react to the Scandinavians when they heard the story of the Viking times, from whose cuisine the dish “langkake” migrated to modern Scandinavian cuisine, which, indeed, is very similar for lasagna - it consists of bread flatbreads layered with meat sauce and cheese.

Apparently, we shouldn’t pay attention to this version either. The first written Italian recipe for lasagna was in great demand in an anonymous 14th-century manuscript found in the vicinity of Naples. The manuscript was called Liber de coquina (Cooking Book).

According to this recipe, in the Middle Ages lasagna was prepared as follows: pages of dough were boiled in boiling water, sandwiched with ground spices and grated cheese.

The spices probably meant salt, pepper and sugar, but probably also a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and.

By that time, medieval Italians were familiar with these seasonings, at least as stated in A. Clifford Wright’s book “Lasagne” (Clifford A. Wright, Lasagne, Boston: Little, Brown, 1995).

One of the biggest lasagna lovers of all time is the wonderful Garfield, a fictional cat from popular American comic books.

Lasagna recipes

Several recipes for making lasagna at home.

Classic lasagna

Products and ingredients:

• parmesan cheese,
• about three hundred grams of minced beef,
• piece of ham 200 grams,
• carrot,
• petiole celery,
• half a glass of olive oil,
• one glass of wine (red),
• several canned tomatoes, with the skin removed,
• salt and pepper to taste.

For the sauce:

• half a liter of milk,
• two tablespoons of flour,
• ground nutmeg (pinch),
• one bay leaf,
• one hundred grams of butter,
• salt to taste.

Preparing the Lasagne recipe:

To prepare lasagna, we buy special plates of dried dough for it. You can, of course, prepare the dough yourself, but having everything ready saves effort and time.

To prepare this dish we also need: Parmesan cheese, about three hundred grams of minced beef, a piece of ham weighing 200 grams, carrots, stalked celery, half a glass of olive oil, one glass of wine (red), several canned tomatoes with the skin removed , salt, pepper to taste.

To prepare the sauce for lasagna we need: half a liter of milk, two tablespoons of flour, ground nutmeg (pinch), one bay leaf, one hundred grams of butter, salt to taste.

Cooking lasagna

First, let's prepare the meat sauce. To do this, add finely chopped garlic and onions to the heated olive oil. Stirring, fry until transparent.

Next, add finely chopped celery and grated carrots. Simmer all this for ten minutes, then add minced beef and finely chopped ham. Stirring, we bring this sauce to the condition when the minced meat is ready.

Then pour in red wine and cook the sauce for another ten minutes. Finely chop the canned tomatoes and add them to our sauce, continuing to boil it all for another forty minutes.

Preparing the second sauce for lasagna

In a dry frying pan, fry the flour with the addition of butter. When the flour turns golden, pour milk into it, which we boiled separately, adding nutmeg and bay leaf (you need to remove it later).

Mix the flour and milk thoroughly so that there are no lumps and bring it to a boil. Let the sauce sit for another ten minutes, adding salt to taste.

“Assembling” lasagna

Take a tall baking dish and pour the meat sauce into it (a little). Carefully place sheets of dry dough on it. Then pour more meat sauce on top.

Pour our milk sauce over it, sprinkling it with grated Parmesan. The next layer is sheets of dry dough. Alternate layers in the order described above until the meat sauce runs out.

The last layer is sheets of dry dough, poured with milk and flour sauce and sprinkled with cheese. And now - the final stage.

In an oven heated to 200 degrees, place our pan with sauces and layers of dough and bake until golden brown. This will take about thirty minutes.

Lasagna with vegetables

Products and ingredients:

• – 2 pcs. (filling)
• Paprika – 2 pcs. (filling)
• Eggplants – 2 pcs. (filling)
• Eggs – 3 (dough)
• Flour – 300 gr. (dough)
• Olive oil – 2 tablespoons.
• Garlic – 3 cloves (to taste)
• Onion - 2 pcs.
• Mushrooms – 100 gr.
• Canned tomatoes – 100 gr.
• Cheddar cheese – 100 gr. (shabby)

Preparing the recipe for Lasagna with vegetables:

Roll out the finished dough into several layers. Then fry the onion and garlic in olive oil, then add zucchini, eggplant and paprika, when the vegetables become softer, add mushrooms, tomato paste and tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes and do not cover.

Place 2 layers of dough on a greased baking dish, and make the next layer with prepared vegetables. Then again a layer of dough and a layer of vegetables, etc. Sprinkle with cheese (grated). Bake in a hot oven for approximately 40 minutes. until it turns golden.

One of the most famous and beloved cuisines in the world, which has produced many wonderful world-famous dishes, is, of course, Italian. In all countries of the world there are restaurants dedicated exclusively to this cuisine. But even when you come to any restaurant, you can always find several Italian dishes on the menu, and one of the most popular is lasagna. Almost everyone knows its pleasant taste, many even cook it at home, but few people know origin story of lasagna. And the history goes back many years, the first mentions date back to the 14th century. And initially she had a completely different appearance than we are used to seeing her.

In its original form, it was a round, flattened flatbread made from wheat flour. The authors of this flatbread were the Greeks, and later this culinary skill was adopted by the inhabitants of Rome, with the exception that they cut the flatbread into long strips, and called them “Lagani”. But there is a second version of the origin story of the name lasagna. According to this version, the name was derived from the Greek “Lasanon”, which translates as pot stove. That is, the name came from the vessel in which the dish was prepared and over time the Romans began to call it “Lasanum”.

Everyone is accustomed to the fact that lasagna is Italian cuisine and, accordingly, its homeland is Italy. But the British completely disagree with this statement. After all, in the 14th century they also had a similar recipe called “Loseyns”. Moreover, this recipe is even mentioned in one of the very first and oldest cookbooks in Britain. Therefore, the history of the origin of lasagna was questioned by the British, which caused a storm of indignation among the Italians. Despite the arguments of the British, the Italians stood their ground and said that the book described no lasagna.

But the first recipe for lasagna was mentioned in a manuscript that was found near Naples. And it contained the following description: pre-boiled sheets of dough were layered with cheese and spices.

Of course, in our time there are many variations and the main products necessarily include meat or vegetables, as well as bechamel sauce. In addition, you can prepare a festive meat dish, or you can also prepare a vegetarian one using exclusively vegetables or mushrooms.

Step-by-step recipe for making lasagna bolognese at home

It’s worth noting right away that despite the multi-component nature, the step-by-step recipe for making lasagna is quite simple, and also involves the use of ready-made dough, which can be purchased in all large supermarkets. But those who are not looking for easy ways can prepare it themselves.

Ingredients for making lasagna:

• Beef - 0.7 kg
• Onion - 1 piece
• Bell pepper - 1 small or half a large one
• Blanched tomato - 0.8 kg
• Tomato paste - 100 g
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Flour - 50 g
• Butter - 50 g
• Milk - 0.6 l
• Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp. or to taste
• Hard cheese - 0.5 kg
• Dough - 0.25 kg
• Oregano, basil to taste

All these products will allow you to prepare a classic lasagna recipe. Bolognese.

Its preparation begins with the fact that you need to make minced meat using a meat grinder. In order for the minced meat to be juicy, it is important to prepare it yourself, and not buy it ready-made in the store, because you cannot be 100% sure of the quality of store-bought minced meat. The first component of the bolognese sauce is ready. Next, peel and finely dice the onion, chop two cloves of garlic and also dice the bell pepper. Place a saucepan on the stove, heat it up and pour in one tablespoon of olive oil, add the vegetables to fry, stirring frequently. It is necessary to fry until the onion becomes transparent, then add salt and pepper to taste. Now you can add minced beef to the vegetables, mix everything well. While the minced meat is fried, mash the previously blanched, skinned tomatoes in a bowl with a fork. When the minced meat turns grey, add mashed tomatoes and tomato paste, season with dried oregano. Simmer to remove excess liquid.

The next stage is béchamel sauce. First, we make a “roux”: throw 50g of butter into a frying pan, let it melt completely and pour in 50g of flour. Mix everything thoroughly and fry until the mixture acquires a slightly golden color. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, the milk should warm up a little. With constant stirring, add the milk to the “roux” (the heat should be minimal). To ensure that the sauce is well mixed and no lumps form, it is best to use a whisk to mix, add nutmeg and remove from heat.

Now you can start putting everything together in layers. Grease the bottom of the mold with a thin layer of bechamel, place a sheet of lasagne dough, pour bolognese sauce on top and sprinkle with grated cheese, cover with a sheet of dough, grease with bechamel. There should be five similar layers. Spread the last sheet of dough with bechamel sauce and sprinkle with cheese (ideally, it will be Parmesan, but you can replace it with mozzarella). Place the pan in an oven preheated to 220 degrees for about half an hour, cover with a lid or foil, remove 10 minutes before readiness to allow the top to brown. Bon appetit!

Take the test

How do you know if you have a fresh egg?

Italian lasagna is loved by many today. Some historians believe that how to make lasagna or a dish similar to it was known back in Ancient Rome. The preparation of lasagna in its modern form originates in the province of Emilia-Romagna, from where the lasagna recipe spread throughout Italy. To this day, lasagna is considered a classic dish of the city of Bologna, located in this province. That is why the classic lasagna is lasagna bolognese. In addition, almost every province or city has its own lasagna recipe For example, in Naples there is Neapolitan lasagna, in Sicily there is Sicilian lasagna. The cooking recipe allowed for experimentation and the use of different products.

A few words about how to make lasagna dough. If you're interested in lasagna, don't let this recipe scare you off. It is advisable to knead the dough for lasagna from durum wheat flour, which is usually used to make pasta. The recipe for lasagna dough is quite simple: flour, eggs, water, salt, olive oil. There is one note on the question of how to prepare lasagne sheets: you need to knead for a long time to get a plastic lasagne dough. The cooking recipe calls for just such a test. Today in the supermarket you can easily buy ready-made layers for lasagna, lasagna recipe after this it will become much easier for you. But even if you haven’t found lasagna sheets, we will advise you how to cook lasagna without them. So, there is pasta lasagna, puff pastry lasagna, pita lasagna, lazy lasagna, and even pancake lasagna. Lasagna, a pita bread recipe, is often referred to as a lazy lasagna recipe. It should also be added that traditionally 6 layers of dough are used, this is how classic lasagne is prepared, the recipe for which was invented in Bologna.

We have already told you how to prepare dough for lasagna, now it’s time to talk about how to prepare lasagna. Lasagna recipes There are many, the filling for lasagna can be very different. There is meat lasagna, lean lasagna or vegetarian lasagna, mushroom lasagna, fish lasagna, seafood lasagna, vegetable lasagna, cheese lasagna. Cheese lasagna is made from ricotta or mozzarella cheese. But if you are interested in lasagna Bolognese, this recipe allows the use of only Parmesan cheese. This lasagna recipe can be complex or simple, depending on the amount of lasagna ingredients. In short, the choice is very large, for every taste: lasagna with meat or lasagna with minced meat, lasagna with chicken, lasagna with mushrooms, lasagna with chicken and mushrooms, lasagna with minced meat and mushrooms.

If you cannot live without meat, a recipe for lasagna with minced meat or a recipe for meat lasagna, a recipe for lasagna with chicken will suit you. All that remains is to find out how to cook lasagna with minced meat: to do this, look at the lasagna with minced meat recipe, how to cook lasagna with minced meat or lasagne with minced meat recipe with photos. If you are on a diet or a vegetarian, prepare vegetable lasagna, pasta lasagna recipe, mushroom lasagna recipe. Lasagna with vegetables, for example, potato lasagna, will be healthy and tasty. If you're looking for a more sophisticated recipe, spinach lasagna is for you. By the way, sometimes you can see on a package with green lasagna sheets the inscription “lasagna with spinach” - this means that grated spinach was added to the lasagna dough.

The best sauce for lasagna is bechamel. Bechamel sauce is for lasagna what mayonnaise is for Olivier. Of course, you can buy bechamel for lasagna, but it’s better to make it yourself. This is the most delicious lasagna sauce; the bechamel recipe is not that complicated. You will need butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg to make the béchamel sauce. The recipe for lasagna is the same as for other dishes.

Many people don't know how to cook lasagna at home. Nothing complicated, we will assume that you have already decided on the lasagna recipe and you have the necessary products for the filling and lasagna dough. A lasagna recipe at home may not be much different from a restaurant one - the main thing is to have a strong desire to cook some delicious lasagna. For example, this could be a recipe for lasagna with meat, lasagna with cheese and ham, or vegetable lasagna. The recipe for homemade lasagna is generally very simple and resembles filled pancakes. That is, you simply transfer the ingredients of lasagna, be sure to use cheese and butter, and bake it all in the oven. If you have all the necessary ingredients, preparing lasagna at home is not difficult. Of course, it would be nice to have a rectangular shape at home, although pancake lasagna will help you solve this problem too. At the restaurant lasagna cooked in the oven, lasagna at home is cooked in the oven. But lasagna in the microwave also has the right to be eaten. Everything basic is simple and now you know how to cook lasagna at home.

By the way, not only Italians know how to cook lasagna. Lasagna recipes are easy to come up with on your own. The Poles, by the way, have also known for a long time how lasagna is prepared; they call this recipe “lazanka”. So experiment, come up with your own way of preparing lasagna, you will probably end up with your own original lasagna, send us a photo to show off. And your own lasagna recipe with photos, your personalized lasagna recipe with photos will decorate our website.

Many people know what lasagna is. But if you haven't tried this Italian dish yet, we highly recommend you do. Depending on the region, preparations may vary. Some make it with tomato sauce, others use bechamel. The filling can be not only minced meat, but also various sausages, seafood or even vegetables, fruits and berries. Lasagna is popular all over the world. Over time, it has undergone significant changes. What is lasagna today? Rather, it is a cooking method that involves baking a dish made from a layer of pasta sheets with various fillings. There is no specific recipe that must be strictly followed. However, some nuances and recommendations should be taken into account.

The right dough is the key to a delicious dish

Lasagna pasta is now sold in almost every supermarket. But preparing it yourself is not at all difficult. You don't need any specific skills for this. To prepare you will need two types of flour - premium wheat and second (durum). To avoid making mistakes when choosing durum flour, look at the label. GOST 16439-70 must be indicated on it. Take flour (250 grams of each type), mix and pour it onto the table in a heap. Make a well in the center and pour in four large eggs. Add salt and 1 tsp to taste. olive oil. Now you need to knead the dough. When it is ready, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After this, form it into a sausage. Cut into equal parts. Sprinkle each piece with a little flour. Using a special machine or a regular rolling pin, roll out the dough into thin sheets. However, do not get carried away too much - the dough should not be transparent, otherwise it may tear. The optimal thickness of the finished sheets is 1.5-2 mm. Now cut the dough into even, long and wide strips. It is not recommended to store lasagna pasta for a long time, so it is better to use it all at once.

The main thing is the filling

To prepare a delicious filling for lasagna (ragout), we need any kind of meat. Often, minced meat is fried with vegetables and onions, and then stewed with tomato sauce or finely chopped tomatoes. A very tender stew is obtained by mixing pork, chicken and lean ground beef in equal proportions. Fry finely chopped onions in olive oil. When it acquires a light golden hue, add the minced meat and fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously. The main thing is that the minced meat does not burn. After this, add to it either chopped tomatoes without skin. Salt and add spices - bay leaves and ground black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat, remembering to stir constantly. Cool the finished filling and add bechamel.

Lasagna sauce

What is lasagna without this component? Of course, this is difficult to imagine. After all, there are many different ones. They come in creamy, brothy and, of course, tomato varieties. But still, béchamel sauce has become a classic and beloved by many. It is prepared from butter (50 grams), flour (2 tbsp) and cream (500 ml). Add flour to melted butter and fry for a couple of minutes. In another saucepan, bring the cream to a boil (but do not boil), add some salt. The hotter the cream, the less likely it is that lumps will appear in the sauce. The cream should be poured into the toasted flour in small portions and constantly mixed thoroughly. The finished sauce should have a consistency similar to sour cream.

Be sure to prepare this dish so you know first-hand what lasagna is. It's very tasty and filling!

Etymology

The word "lasagna" originally described a cooking pan. Although the dish is believed to have originated in Italy, the word "lasagna" itself comes from the Greek " λάσανα » (« lasana") or " λάσανον » ( "lasanon"), which means "hot plates" or "to expose to the pot". The word was later borrowed by the Romans as lasanum, meaning "cooking pot". The Italians then used the word to refer to the dish now known as lasagne. [ ]

According to another theory, the word lasagna comes from the Greek λάγανον ("laganon") - a type of flat sheet paste made from dough [ ] .

Story

The oldest known recipes for lasagne are described in two cookbooks found in Naples - Anonimo Meridionale, dated 1238-1239, and Liber de Coquina(c. 1304-1314) [ ] . Subsequently, this dish gained fame and became popular not only in Italy, but throughout the world. The first lasagnas were cooked in the oven in special frying pans without a handle, into which a certain number of layers of thin dough were placed, alternating with ragu and Parmesan cheese. In Liguria, sauces (for example, pesto) began to be added to traditional lasagna along with the stew. Sometimes lasagna dough was colored bright green by adding mashed spinach.

In the 16th century, the recipe for lasagna was borrowed and transformed in its own way by Polish cuisine, resulting in the appearance of lazanka.

Test features

Lasagna dough is made from the same flour used for pasta. This flour is prepared exclusively from durum wheat.

Layers of dough are also produced as pasta and are commercially available as dry sheets of dough.

Modern kitchen

Modern lasagna is made from several layers of dough, each with filling and sauce.