MY FAVORITE DISH

Lasagne or lasagna (U.S), is a wide, flat pasta shape and possibly one of the oldest. The word also refers to a dish made with this type of pasta with different sauces and baked in the oven.

Traditionally, the dough was prepared in Southern Italy with semolina and water and in the northern regions, where semolina was not available, with flour and eggs.

Today in Italy, since the only type of wheat allowed for pasta is durum wheat, lasagne are made of semolina (from durum wheat) and eggs.

ORIGIN:

There are three theories on the origin of lasagne, two of which denote an ancient Greek dish. The main theory is that lasagne comes from Greek "laganon", a flat sheet of pasta dough cut into strips. The word "lagana" is still used in Greek to mean a flat thin type of unleavened bread.

Another theory is that the word lasagne comes from the Greek "lasana" or "lasanon" meaning "trivet or stand for a pot", "chamber pot". The Romans borrowed the word as "lasanum", meaning "cooking pot" in Latin.

The Italians used the word to refer to the dish in which lasagne is made. Later the name of the food took on the name of the serving dish.

A third theory proposed that the dish is a development of the 14th century English recipe "Loseyn" as described in The Forme of Cury, a cook book in use during the reign of Richard II.

This has similarities to modern lasagne in both its recipe, which features a layering of ingredients between pasta sheets, and its name. However, an important difference is the lack of tomatoes, which did not arrive in Europe until after Columbus reached America in 1492.

LASAGNA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Minced Beef 450gTin of Tomatoes 400gMushrooms 100gChopped onion 1Garlic 1 cloveButter 25gLasagne Pasta 1 Packet (baked)

For the lasagna white sauce:

Milk 300mlButter 25gPlain Flour 25g

METHOD OF PREPARE

1. To prepare the Meat Sauce, fry the Mince Beef and Onion until brown.

2. Stir in the Garlic, Tomatoes and Mushrooms (sliced).

3. Cook for about an hour until thick and rich.

4. If necessary add 2 tablespoons of Wheatflour dissolved in a small amount of cold water to thicken.

5. Grease an oven proof dish

6. To make the Bechamel sauce, melt the Butter, stir the Flour in and add the Milk, stirring until thickened.

7. Grate the Cheese and add. Add seasoning to taste.

8. Layer the ingredients repeatedly, starting with the Meat Sauce, then the Lasagne, ending with the Bechamel Sauce.

9. Sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese on top and bake the Lasagna in the oven at 400F / 200C / Mark 6 for about 45 minutes.

10. Serve the Lasagna with Parmesan Cheese.

SOME TYPES OF LASAGNE:

chicken lasagna

SOME TYPES OF LASAGNE:

ricotta lasagna

SOME TYPES OF LASAGNE:

vegetarian lasagna

SOME TYPES OF LASAGNE:

Mexican lasagna

SOME TYPES OF LASAGNE:

cod lasagna

REFERENCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagne