How Did Fish End Up in Lasagna? Food History 101

Welcome to Food History 101. Today we're going to explore the origin of lasagna. In Italy, the dish is referred to as lasagna with an E, which is plural, as it points to the plurality of the noodles in the dish. Even further back, the word lasagna comes from the Greek word laganin, and is known to be the closest thing to pasta that ancient Romans cooked. Based on the earliest written recipe for lasagna, the dish called for a myriad of interesting ingredients such as fish, fig peppers, raisin wine, and pignolia nuts. Moreover, this pasta was more of a crepe-like concoction than the noodles we enjoy today. Numerous iterations have taken place over the years, each bringing the recipe a touch closer to the dish we're now familiar with. In the 14th century, lasagna was made with pasta dough, cheese, and spices. Next was a version made of eggs, ravioli, cheese, and bacon. Different still is a variation made in a region north of Rome, one that is crafted with bechamel. That's it for this week! If you liked this video, be sure to subscribe or check out our green chili pork and elote lasagna recipe at julieho.com forward slash potpare.