Lasagna. Romjan Aly / Pixabay.com / 2021 / CC0 1.0
The 29th of July is Lasagna Day.
Everyone loves the savoury, cheesy layers of a lasagna, and it ranks high up there as many people’s idea of a perfect comfort food.
As a single pan meal, it can seem deceptively easy, but a lot of love and labour is typically required to assemble it, so you may not get it as often as you would like.
There are all sorts of lasagna now: meat, seafood, vegetarian. What about a mushroom lasagna?
Old family recipes are prized, yet, there are some new ones floating around that are quite good too, and many of them can make a lasagna quite Weight Watchers® friendly.
Do you like yours with a white sauce, a tomato sauce, or both? What about sneaking some vodka into the tomato sauce? Mexican style, with roasted chiles and sour cream?
If you are low-carbing, you could try using slices of eggplant or zucchini for the noodles.
Have you ever tried no-boil lasagna noodles? If so, how did they work out for you?
Whole-wheat lasagna noodles have come a long way now, and can really ratchet up the healthiness quotient of your lasagna dish.
If you are in the States, check out Lasagna Love, which delivers free homemade lasagnas to people in need: https://lasagnalove.org/
Pro tips: if you are putting a lasagna together and making the sauce from scratch, make the sauce a day or two ahead of time and store it in the fridge until the big day. (If the sauce is cold, reheat it in microwave when assembling lasagna to speed baking times.) A layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish will help prevent the noodles at the bottom from sticking and drying out. And, when it comes time to bake your lasagna, don’t overbake it!
#LasagnaDay #NationalLasagnaDay
See also: Lasagna
Activities for today
- Make a lasagna at home;
- if you have an old family recipe, make that;
- try a recipe you’ve never had before;
- try a healthier recipe that lightens it up;
- if you’re in a hurry, buy a lasagna from the chiller or freezer compartment in the supermarket and cook it up at home;
- try a vegetarian version;
- share some of your lasagna with a shut-in neighbour;
- if you work in a commercial kitchen, put lasagna on the menu today;
- go out with a friend for a lasagna meal;
- order some delivery lasagna;
- however you get some lasagna on your plate, share a photo on social media.
History
The first print mention that CooksInfo is aware of for a “Lasagna Day” in July dates from 2003 in Mason City, Iowa:
“Shibboleth Toastmasters is a structured one-hour club meeting that challenges members to develop public speaking and leadership skills. Next Tuesday’s theme [Ed: Tuesday, 29th July 2003] is “National Lasagna Day.” Word of the week is “reiterate”. Shibboleth Toastmasters will meet Tuesday, July 29, at L.D.’s Filling Station, 616 N. 12th Street, Mason City. Gavel time is 6:30 p.m. The public is invited. For club information contact Loren Toomsen (641) 357-6247.” — Club Notes. Mason City, Iowa: The Globe Gazette. Saturday, 26 July 2003. Page A9, col. 2.
Sources
Agudelo, Wendy. Lasagna Love Attempts Record Breaking 100,000 Lasagna Delivery in Celebration of National Lasagna Day. PR News Wire. 27 July 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lasagna-love-attempts-record-breaking-100-000-lasagna-delivery-in-celebration-of-national-lasagna-day-301341383.html
DeMontis, Rita. Pass the lasagna on its national day! Toronto, Canada: Toronto Sun. 24 July 2019. Accessed July 2021 at https://torontosun.com/life/food/0724-gglasagnaday
Harris, Jenn. National Lasagna Day: Celebrate with 5 mouth-watering recipes. Los Angeles, California: The Los Angeles Times. 29 July 2013. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-national-lasagna-day-celebrate-5-recipes-20130729-story.html
Lasagna Day Means One Thing: Everyone’s Going to Be Happy at Meal Time! Betty Crocker Kitchens. 27 August 2020. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/mhplibrary/everyday-meals/lasagna-day-everyone-going-to-be-happy-at-meal
Russo, Maria. A Day for Lasagna Lovers. Food Network. July 2011. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/recipes/2011/07/national-lasagna-day
Suresh, Meera. National Lasagna Day: Tips To Make The Perfect Dish. New York, New York: International Business Times. 29 July 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.ibtimes.com/national-lasagna-day-tips-make-perfect-dish-3262445