Lasagna’s origins are as layered as the dish. Lasagna is the singular form, not the plural, and came from ancient influences. The Greek word laganon may have referred to pasta that was made from flat, thin strips of dough, with a (non-tomato) sauce holding each layer together. Another possibility comes from a similar dish in ancient Rome, lasanum, which refers to a pot or container in Latin. Yes, Italians use the word for a cooking pot to refer to lasagna because of how the meal was once served, not the ingredients.
And the various recipes for this delicious dish show the ingredients did not matter. Even today, the lasagna in Northern Italy uses completely flat pasta, while the pasta used in Southern Italy is the more internationally popular rippled-edge variety. The ingredients used vary even more, first depending on family traditions and heritage, and second on a Google search. Does your family enjoy a lasagna using tomato sauce and meat, or a pesto-based lasagna with sliced vegetables?
These options developed with time. The cups of grated cheese were eventually added to the lasagna base. Tomatoes were not introduced until the nineteenth century. The next significant change came from Italians immigrating to the United States and bringing their lasagna recipes to America, adjusting the recipes to fit their new lives. The sauce was changed and vegetables became a common addition to the lasagna layers.
And The Dairy Alliance has easy-to-make veggie lasagnas baked with lots of cheese.
Meatless Lasagna
Slow Cooker Fresh Veggie Lasagna
Make this veggie-filled lasagna in the slow cooker for an easy, family-pleasing dinner. This recipe uses mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, basil leaves zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms.
Skillet Butternut Squash Lasagna
You don’t need to spend hours preparing a lasagna when you can whip this delicious one up in under an hour and do it all in one pan! This recipe uses butternut squash, spinach, pesto sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, basil, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and two types of mozzarella.