You can’t get more comfort food than a plate of homemade lasagna.
But get Italians to tell you how to make it and you’ll get a handful of different recipes.
The debate over this delicious, soothing dish can get quite heavy. The word itself has Greek and Roman origins but the discussions that arise in modern times have to do with the ingredients that go into preparing this popular plate.
In Italy, it was made famous by restauranteurs in the city of Bologna in the beginning of the 19th century. They did such a good job promoting their local dish that “Lasagna alla Bolognese” became the version most widely accepted as traditional. The recipe calls for sheets of lasagne, ragù alla Bolognese, besciamella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and that’s all. (To keep it authentic the only possible variant may be alternating plain sheets of lasagne with spinach infused sheets of lasagne).
But that’s not the end of the story. Oh no! You ask any Italian-American and they’ll tell you what other ingredients are missing from your recipe.
Even back home in Italy you can tell where you’re staying by what’s in your lasagna.
In Naples the ragu may have sausage added in and the besciamella will be replaced by mozarella. In Sicily there will also be some ricotta and maybe even a hard-boiled egg.
And then if we venture out globally – oh boy! – there’s vegetable lasagna, seafood lasagna, eggplant lasagna, etc.. We could go on and on. But that’s the beauty of Italian dishes – every household has added their own personal touch. What matters most is the quality of the ingredients and cooking with love.
So, which way is the right way – my way or your way?
The way Grandma made made it – with fresh, authentic ingredients and lots of amore!