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The lasagna story begins in ancient Greece and Rome with thin, flat pieces of dough called "laganum."While the Greeks typically fried these pasta sheets, the Romans took things further. In a 5th-century cookbook called De Re Conquinaria, we find what may be the world's first lasagna recipe: layers of laganum alternating with meat sauces, wine, and spices. One translation even uses the word "lasagne" to describe the layered structure. The Roman poet Horace also gives us a tantalizing clue about lasagna’s origins, writing about enjoying "leeks, chickpeas, and lagana" together, possibly describing an ancient pasta soup that resembles minestrone.
The actual word "lasagna" first appears in the 12th century, thanks to a scholar from Pisa named Uguccione. By the 1300s, Italian cookbooks were featuring fully developed lasagna recipes that would be recognizable today—well, mostly.
The Liber De Coquina, one of Italy's oldest surviving cookbooks, includes three different lasagna recipes. One calls for layering boiled pasta with cheese and spices, while another creates a rich "cake" with eggs, bacon, and cheese. There's even a Lenten version called "Monk's Head" made with nuts, fruits, and honey—some noodles colored with saffron, others stuffed like ravioli.
Here's where lasagna's history gets truly unexpected: for centuries, it was served with sugar and cinnamon. Renaissance cookbooks routinely called for sweet lasagna topped with varied spices, treating it more like a rich dessert than a savory main course. The famous papal chef Bartolomeo Scappi even included a recipe that layered lasagna in a pastry crust with butter, cheese, and—you guessed it—sugar and cinnamon.
For most of lasagna's long history, two ingredients we consider essential today were completely missing: tomatoes and béchamel sauce. It wasn't until 1891 that Pellegrino Artusi's groundbreaking cookbook first paired lasagna with tomato sauce, finally creating the flavor profile we recognize. Creamy béchamel followed gradually, evolving from basic cream sauces that had begun appearing in late 18th-century recipes. The twentieth century brought lasagna's ultimate transformation. As Italian emigrants carried their culinary traditions worldwide and Italian cuisine gained international popularity, lasagna evolved into its modern form—complete with the rich tomato and creamy layers that define the dish today.
From ancient Roman banquets to medieval monasteries to modern family kitchens, lasagna has continuously adapted while maintaining its essential character: layers of pasta bringing together the best flavors of each era. The next time you enjoy this comfort food classic, remember—you're tasting over 2,000 years of culinary evolution.