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The history of lasagne begins in ancient times. Even the ancient Romans used "lagana", flat sheets of dough.
Today, lasagne is a classic of the Italian cuisine - built up in layers, topped with ragù or tomato sauce, béchamel and parmesan. In the past, things looked very different due to the lack of tomatoes. They only came to Europe after the discovery of America in the 16th century. The Romans already knew a dish called "lagana": flat sheets of dough served with broth, meat or fish. According to the Roman cookery book "De re coquinaria" (Apicius), there were recipes in which several layers of lagana and meat were placed on top of each other.
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A sign of prosperity
In the Middle Ages, this lagana developed into the earliest form of lasagne - and it was one thing above all: a sign of prosperity. The ingredients were simple, but not commonplace: layered, cooked sheets of dough, combined with cheese and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or pepper. Meat was rare and tomatoes did not yet exist. Lasagne at that time was therefore much less saucy, but often aromatic and slightly sweetly flavoured.
The dish for high holidays
One of the earliest written lasagne recipes can be found in the "Liber de Coquina", a cookery book from the 14th century. Lasagne was particularly popular in Italian monasteries - as a festive dish for high holidays. It was also popular at wealthy courts, as pasta was considered a luxury in the Middle Ages. The ingredients varied depending on the region: in the north of Italy, for example, butter was used, whereas in the south Olive oil. Cheeses such as pecorino or other regional varieties were used generously - and served as the most important flavour carriers.
Lasagne was elaborate and expensive, but could be adapted to the contents of the pantry. The basis - flat sheets of dough - remained the same for centuries.
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More InformationTriumphant advance from the 19th century
It was not until the 19th century, especially in the Emilia-Romagnaa, lasagne came to be what we know today as its typical form: with a tomato sauce, with ragù alla bolognese, with béchamel and Parmesan cheese. The tomato had now established itself in Italian cuisine - after initial scepticism, it became the mainstay of many dishes.
Today, lasagne is a global dish. It is available in vegetarian, vegan, with fish, with mushrooms, as "Lasagna Bianca" without any tomatoes - but its core remains the same: a layered dish that turns simple ingredients into a small work of art.
