Pasta sheets, ragù and béchamel stack up on Thursday, July 29, 2027, for National Lasagna Day. The word itself goes back to an ancient Greek pot.
When to Bake for National Lasagna Day
July 29 is the day. It’s an informal food holiday, open to any recipe.
From a Greek Pot to a Bologna Notary
Nobody knows who started the food day. The word, though, has a long trail that the Online Etymology Dictionary traces back to antiquity.
“Lasagna” traces to the Latin lasanum, a cooking pot. That word came from the Greek lasanon, a pot with feet. Italian uses the plural lasagne, which English sometimes borrows.
English had its own version early. By the late 14th century, loseyne meant a dish of cheese and large noodles. Italian dictionaries show the modern spelling by the 1590s.
Medieval cookbooks
A 14th-century cookbook from Naples, the Liber de Coquina, describes sheets of pasta alternating with cheese and spices, The Spectator notes.
England had something close. The Forme of Cury, compiled under Richard II in 1390, includes “loseyns.” In 2003, the Daily Telegraph used it to claim Britain invented lasagne.
Columnist Dot Wordsworth wasn’t convinced. Drawing on writer Clifford Wright’s history of macaroni, she argued that “loseyns” is probably a form of “lozenge.”
Bologna makes it official
Bologna’s classic is lasagne verdi alla bolognese. It layers green spinach pasta with meat ragù. Béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano complete it. The Accademia Italiana della Cucina certified the recipe on May 28, 2003.
On July 4, 2003, it was registered by notary deed with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce, at the Palazzo della Mercanzia. Bologna’s tourism office publishes the full recipe.
The quantities are exact. The pasta uses 700 grams of flour, 3 eggs and 350 grams of spinach. Then come 1 kilogram of ragù and 400 grams of Parmigiano.
For the béchamel, the recipe calls for 100 grams of flour and 1 liter of whole milk, plus about 200 grams of butter. Salt and nutmeg finish it.
Cooks cut the dough into rectangles of about 15 by 10 centimeters and boil them until they float. Each layer gets a thin coat of béchamel and plenty of ragù. A few pricks with a toothpick keep air bubbles out, and the tin should be at least 6 centimeters deep. Before baking, cooks set a flake of butter in each corner of the tin.
A Dish for a Crowd
One certified pan makes 8 servings, so this is a dish built for sharing with family or friends. Its story also runs from medieval Naples to a Bologna notary’s office.
Even the quality checks in Bologna’s recipe are spelled out. Layers should be even, and the béchamel should be creamy and thin.
Layering Tips for National Lasagna Day
- Boil fresh sheets briefly, cool them in cold water and dry them on a clean cloth, as Bologna’s recipe directs.
- Stack at least six layers of pasta, béchamel, ragù and cheese.
- Grate the Parmigiano at the last moment.
- Let the pan rest about 5 minutes before cutting.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking, or 1 hour on a day above 90°F.
- Store portions in shallow containers so they cool evenly.
- Reheat slices until they hit 165°F on a food thermometer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should Bologna’s lasagne bake?
About 25 to 30 minutes at around 180°C.
Could the word have Arabic roots?
One Spanish etymologist, Corominas, suggested an Arabic source, lawzinaj. The usual explanation still points to the Greek and Latin pot.
How long do lasagna leftovers keep?
Three to four days refrigerated, according to the USDA, or three to four months frozen.