Lasagna is a delicious Italian meal that consists of layers of noodles, cheese and sauce. The earliest recipe for lasagna appeared in the first English cookbook which was published in the 14th century. The recipe
did not contain tomatoes since the tangy red vegetable did not make its way to England until some time after 1492, but otherwise the concept was very similar to modern lasagna recipes. Since lasagna freezes well, it has become a popular
fixture in the freezer compartment of the grocery store, but most prepackaged varieties cannot compare to the fresh, delicious taste of the homemade version. When making lasagna for dinner, it is a good idea to make a second one for the
freezer to combine the homemade taste with the convenience of a prepackaged meal.
Lasagna recipes vary from region to region and household to household. For instance, the noodles used in Southern Italy are generally rippled and the sauce used is a tomato or ragu. In the Northern region of Italy, flat noodles are prominent and béchamel
is the popular sauce of choice. Most often lasagna noodles are boiled before compiling the layers, but no-bake noodles have gained in popularity recently and are used to speed up assembly time. Vegetables like spinach, zucchini and broccoli can be added
to traditional lasagna with meat sauce, or the meat can be omitted entirely to create a tasty vegetarian lasagna. Substituting fat-free cottage cheese for the ricotta and using fat-free or low-fat mozzarella can produce a lighter version of either classic
or vegetable lasagna. Although many home cooks have a lasagna recipe in their repertoire, trying a different type with varied ingredients is a wonderful way to change flavors and update an old recipe. |
