National Lasagna Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

Celebrating National Lasagna Day on July 29 does not require being Italian or an obese orange cartoon cat. What’s not to like about tomato sauce, cheeses, meat, and vegetables separated by wide, flat noodles? Lasagna originated in Naples, Italy in the Middle Ages and arrived in the United States in the nineteenth century. Since then, the United States has become uniquely American. On National Lasagna Day, visit your favourite Italian restaurant or preheat the oven in preparation for a homemade lasagna.

The background of National Lasagna Day

Ancient Greek is the origin of the term ‘lasagna’. The name is derived from the term ‘laganon,’ which refers to the earliest form of pasta. The term ‘laganon’ referred to thinly cut sheets of dough that had been flattened. Obviously, the original lasagna was quite different from the dish we appreciate today. There were layers of pasta covered in sauce, but the dish lacked the fundamental Italian ingredients. Ancient Romans frequently prepared a dish known as ‘lasanum,’ which means vessel or container in Latin. Italians used the term for the pot that the meal was served in when referring to the food dish. Thus, the term ‘lasagna’ derives from the preparation method and not the ingredients.

The combining of flour and water dates back to the Middle Ages, resulting in the popularity of lasagna. Salimbene di Adam described a rotund friar indulging in lasagna in 1284, stating, “I’ve never seen anyone stuffing himself on lasagna with cheese so pleasurably and completely as he.”

The noodles used in Northern Italian lasagna are flat, while those used in Southern Italian lasagna are undulating. The ingredients Italians use in a dish are determined by their family’s heritage and tradition. Possibly around this time, cheese was added to the concoction. The addition of egg to dough did not become prevalent until the Renaissance.

In the 1880s, tomato was added to the formula in Naples. Due to Francesco Zambrini of Bologna, layering lasagna became popular in the nineteenth century. Italian immigrants carried their recipes, including béchamel, ragù, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, to America in the late 1800s. Others added vegetables to the strata, while others modified the meat sauce to their liking.

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NATIONAL LASAGNA DAY ACTIVITIES

Try a novel dish

Since there are so many ways to prepare lasagna, you should have little trouble discovering a delicious new recipe. You can readily find recipes for either a lasagna with meatballs or a completely vegetarian lasagna. You might discover a new variety that you enjoy even more than grandma’s. (Don’t tell her anything.)

Look for “Garfield” lasagna mentions

Acquire a few Garfield comic books and enjoy watching him devour lasagna pan after lasagna pan. Even on a Monday, you are certain to discover a few laughs.

Enjoy yourself

Consider travelling to a neighbouring Italian restaurant if the thought of preparing lasagna at home seems too daunting. There is a good chance that these restaurants offer more than one type, allowing you to experience something new. Or, the restaurant may have a traditional recipe for this traditional Italian dish.

5 SAUCY FACTS ABOUT LASAGNA

Originally, “lasagna” referred to the cooking vessel in which it was prepared.

It may sound absurd, but all you need to do is assemble the ingredients, wrap the container securely in aluminium foil, and cook the lasagna on the heated dry cycle of your dishwasher.

The most well-known fact about lasagna is that Garfield the cat loves it.

With his single ‘Lasagna,’ Weird Al Yankovic parodied the song ‘La Bamba.

The ‘Diamond and Gold’ lasagna served at the Las Vegas Mirage costs $100 per serving.

NATIONAL LASAGNA DAY DATES