Substantially thick and rectangular, this commercial pasta is easy to find and has a width of 6 - 8 inches; but if homemade, it can be of different sizes, depending on the pan in which it is baked.
During the preparation, the lasagna strips are layered, alternating between sauces like ragù, the most characteristic, but also with pesto, cheeses, or vegetables — versions appreciated by vegetarians.
Already Appreciated by the Ancient Romans
Lasagna is a national first course dish in Italy in the sense that, even with variations of sizes and ingredients, it is served in all Italian regions during holidays or when there are numerous guests. Along with its tasty Bolognese sauce, it has become particularly symbolic in the Emilia Romagna region. “Laganum,” a mixture of water and wheat flour stretched in a sheet, was already of use in Roman cuisine and recommended by gastronome Apicius. In his cookbook "De re coquinaria," he describes a “lagana” pasta consisting of large sheets in which different types of cooked meat cut into small pieces were wrapped.
As for “lasagna,” the same term used today, it is mentioned in books of the Renaissance and in the more detailed recipes and cooking techniques of the fifteenth century Neapolitan cuisine. It is then that lasagna evolved into the choice dish of aristocrats, thanks to the variety of ingredients at their disposal. The first recipe that mentions tomato, still within the Neapolitan cuisine, dates back “only” to 1881.
The Right Wine
Pairing depends on the sauce you use to dress the lasagna. If prepared with a meat sauce or sausage, for example, then it goes well with red wines like Valpolicella, the Venetian wine loved by Ernest Hemingway. Lasagna with vegetables or cheeses go better with white wines like Verdicchio, Soave, Sauvignon.
