Delicious layers of taste

Lasagna is one of the classic favourites of Italian cuisine

Lasagna. This classic Italian dish, which at its most basis refers to flat sheets of pasta layered with meat, sauce and cheese, got its start as a chamber pot. Well, in a sense. The word comes from the Greek "lasana," which means "chamberpot." The Romans then transformed the word into "lasanum" which means "cooking pot." Soon the word then got transformed again into lágana. Apicio, Roman writer of the 1st century a.C. describes lágana in his book De re coquinaria.
Today, lasagna is a dish that every culture and every tastebud has taken as their own. The result is everything from Mexican-style lasagne to vegetarian and seafood lasagne. And to understand the history of lasagna you have to travel through the murky and complicated world of pasta.
No one is absolutely certain where and when pasta came to be. But there are certainly a slew of theories. There are some highlights throughout history. Etruscan archaeological findings, (found mainly in near present-day Rome) display stucco relieves of several tools used for home pasta-making.
The first certain record of noodles cooked by boiling is in the Jerusalem Talmud, written in Aramaic in the 5th century AD.
Naples became Italy's pasta centre in the 1500s. The King of Naples, Ferdinand II hired an engineer who devised a system where a machine took over the job of kneading and cutting.
It's considered common knowledge that lasagna is an Italian invention and probably got its start during the Ancient Roman era.
That claim went undisputed for centuries until last year, when the BBC reported news that stunned the culinary world: lasagna is British.
Researchers studying a medieval cookbook suggested the Brits were making the layered dish before it became a staple in Italy. Chefs everywhere stopped what they were doing - could the masterminds behind Yorkshire pudding have also had a hand in lasagna?
But staunch supporters on the Italian-lasagna front suggest the recipe found in the medieval cookbook doesn't mention meat - an essential ingredient in the layered pasta dish. They also point out that medieval cooks would never have used tomatoes - were considered to be poisonous during this period.
Debate aside, lasagna is a great do-ahead communal dish. The traditional recipe calls for minced meat, mozzarella or ricotta cheese and tomato sauce layered between ribbons of pasta. But in the past few decades lasagna has changed considerably.
To all those lasagna aficionados of the old-school - the lasagna your mother made on Sunday lunches has changed quite a bit. Today, you can find lasagnas based on everything from seafood to apples to tofu.
But there are some variations on the classic that are a delicious alternative to the old-standby. Tuna Lasagna with White Sauce is an elegant dish. The sauce is made from butter, flour, milk and shredded mozzarella.
For a vegetarian alternative, add onions, basil, oregano leaves, zucchini, parsley, diced red pepper, and artichoke hearts.
Another meatless lasagna hails from Calabria. Here, tomatoes are combined with minced garlic, chopped onion, olive oil, fresh basil, ricotta, mozzarella, and the whole thing is topped with chopped fresh parsley. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds some zest.
Portobella Lasagna is another elegant option to the usual meat and cheese lasagna. The Portobello mushrooms work well with the fennel seed and basil and oregano.
Spinach and arugula will give your next lasagna dish a tangy taste. Italian Zucchini Lasagna is also a nice change from the usual. Here, the vegetables are combined with sliced mushrooms, chopped onions, oregano, thyme, basil, mozzarella, and red wine.
Spinach and Roasted Pepper Lasagna has a wonderful look. The vegetables are combined with olive oil, chopped onions, garlic, dried basil, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Artichoke Lasagna combines the vegetables with unsalted butter, flour, milk, olive oil, fresh mint, fresh mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg and peperoncino. This is a white-sauce lasagna made with béchamel sauce. To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in flour. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook until flour begins to change colour. Slowly whisk in warm milk until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon basil and 1⁄4 cup of Parmesan cheese. The lasagna is topped with Parmesan cheese, basil and mint.

Publication Date: 2004-03-14
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3742