Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that has been popular around the world for generations. The most traditional lasagna consists of layers of pasta, meat sauce, cheese, and bechamel sauce. However, there has been some debate around whether vegetables are an authentic part of a traditional lasagna recipe. This article will examine the origins and evolution of lasagna over time to determine if vegetables have historically been included as an ingredient.
The origins of lasagna
Lasagna has its roots in Italy, with the earliest written recipes dating back to the 13th century in the region that is now Emilia-Romagna. These early lasagna recipes were more rudimentary than the layered lasagna we know today – they involved mixing together ingredients like inexpensive flour, cheese, and vegetables between two sheets of pasta.
Meat was not as commonly used back then. Vegetables like spinach were more often included, both for nutritional purposes and because they were more accessible. The vegetables provided important nutrients and bulk to stretch the dish to feed more people.
Evolution of lasagna in the 14th-19th centuries
As lasagna continued evolving in Italy over the next few centuries, vegetables maintained their prominence in recipes. In the 14th century cookbook “Libro della cocina” by an unknown author from Naples, one lasagna recipe incorporates spinach. A 15th century cookbook from Milan also includes spinach in its lasagna recipe.
However, in the 16th century lasagna recipes started to feature more complex ragùs made from meat. The first recorded meat ragu lasagna comes from a book published in 1570. As meat became more available and pasta-making techniques advanced, lasagna started to take on more layers and gain elegance. The culinary elite viewed lasagna with meat ragu as the most refined version of the dish.
Still, vegetables never fully disappeared from lasagna recipes. Many cookbooks continued using spinach, carrots, pumpkin and other vegetables to make lasagna into the 19th century and early 20th century. Frugality and nutrition were likely factors in favoring vegetables.
The modern lasagna era
By the late 19th and 20th century, Italian immigration had spread lasagna around the world. As a dish, it gained growing popularity particularly in the United States.
The 1907 English cookbook “The Up-To-Date Waitress” by Janet McKenzie Hill included a lasagna recipe incorporating spinach, peas, and tomatoes. In the U.S., the 1938 cookbook “The Joy of Cooking” contained a meat lasagna recipe with onions, carrots, celery, spinach, and tomatoes.
These early American cookbooks show that vegetables continued to be part of lasagna recipes even as the dish was reinterpreted abroad. However, after World War II, a new style of meat-centric lasagna ascended in popularity.
The rise of meaty, vegetable-free lasagna
In 1950, a man named Mario Batali’s grandmother recorded her recipes into a notebook for him. Her lasagna recipe helped set the tone for what many consider “traditional” lasagna today – alternating layers of meat ragu, noodles, bechamel, and cheese filling. Notably absent are any vegetables.
This style of vegetable-free, meat-heavy lasagna rose to prominence over the second half of the 20th century for several reasons:
– **Increasing wealth and meat consumption**: As incomes rose, meat became more affordable so Italians began adding more meat to dishes. Lasagna was elevated by using more luxurious meat ragu rather than relying on vegetables as filler.
– **New oven technology**: Ovens improved to allow baking lasagna evenly, so it was now possible to make a very tall lasagna with numerous layers. More meat ragu could be piled between the layers.
– **Influential Italian cookbooks**: Ada Boni’s 1930 cookbook “The Talisman Italian Cook Book” featured a meat lasagna recipe without vegetables that later inspired cookbook authors in America like Waverly Root and Mabel DeWitt Bukb. Their popular 1950s cookbooks cemented the popularity of meat-based lasagna stateside.
– **Commercialization**: Frozen food companies like Stouffer’s helped popularize the meat-and-cheese lasagna by making it widely available in supermarkets across America. The frozen lasagna aisle shaped many people’s notion of “traditional” lasagna.
So while lasagna has held a place in Italian cooking for centuries, the rise of a vegetable-free version as the archetype for “traditional” lasagna is a more modern development driven by social factors in the 20th century.
Do Italians still use vegetables in lasagna today?
While many Italians do enjoy meat-based lasagna today, vegetables are still used abundantly in lasagna in modern Italian cooking. Some examples include:
– **Spinach lasagna**: Spinach has a long history in lasagna, and still often makes an appearance layered between the noodles or mixed into the ricotta filling.
– **Pumpkin lasagna**: Pumpkin is a popular fall ingredient added to the ragu or as a layer, bringing a sweetness that balances the richness of the cheese.
– **Eggplant lasagna**: Sliced eggplant can be grilled or baked then used in place of the pasta sheets for a low-carb version.
– **Zucchini lasagna**: Shredded or thinly sliced zucchini layers add moisture and bright texture.
– **Broccoli rabe lasagna**: The slightly bitter broccoli rabe gives a vegetable punch to the classic cheese filling.
– **Carrot lasagna**: Grated carrots lend natural sweetness and color to the dish.
– **Mixed vegetable lasagna**: Use a medley of sauteed vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, onions, peppers for a colorful layered lasagna.
Regional Italian vegetable lasagnas
Many regions of Italy have their own signature vegetable lasagna recipes that are considered classics:
– **Emilia-Romagna**: The lasagna alla bolognese features spinach mixed into the ragu along with pancetta and milk.
– **Lazio**: Lasagna with artichokes, peas and mint is popular variation in Rome and the surrounding region.
– **Liguria**: Lasagna with pesto and string beans is iconic in Genoa.
– **Campania**: Neapolitan lasagna incorporates sautéed broccoli rabe.
– **Sicily**: Lasagna alla Palermitana contains tomatoes, peppers, olives and hard-boiled eggs.
– **Veneto**: In northern Italy, radicchio and mushrooms are used in lasagna fillings.
So while the lasagna with only meat may be widespread today, Italians continue using vegetables to create favorite regional lasagna specialties.
Should traditional lasagna have vegetables?
Given the long tradition of incorporating vegetables into lasagna from the dish’s earliest origins, a strong argument can be made that vegetables should be considered an authentic and traditional part of a classic lasagna recipe.
However, it’s also understandable how the public perception of “classic” lasagna has moved toward a vegetable-free interpretation over the past century. The rise of the meaty, veggie-free lasagna is an important part of the dish’s evolution and cultural footprint. This style has defined lasagna for generations of Americans through popular cookbooks, restaurants, and frozen supermarket versions.
But that doesn’t mean vegetables shouldn’t still play an important role in lasagna dishes today. Here are some reasons why lasagna is often improved with the addition of vegetables:
Nutritional benefits
– Vegetables add important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. This balances the high saturated fat and calories from cheese and meat.
Textural contrast
– The crispness of vegetables contrasts with the soft pasta and cheese for more interest.
Flavors and versatility
– Vegetables introduce diverse flavors and aromas, expanding the possibilities of lasagna recipes beyond just meatiness.
– They make lasagna lighter and more suitable for seasonal cooking.
Connections to history
– Vegetables bring lasagna closer to its roots as an Italian peasant dish focused on affordability and nutrition.
– They help diversify modern lasagna away from the ubiquitous meat-and-cheese version brought by commercialization.
| Vegetables | Benefits in Lasagna |
|---|---|
| Spinach | Vitamins A, C, iron. Adds color and richness. |
| Mushrooms | Savory umami flavor and meaty texture. |
| Zucchini | Bright flavor, moisture. Easy to slice thin and layer. |
| Eggplant | Hearty texture and substance for a low-carb pasta substitute. |
| Carrots | Mild sweetness and color contrast. |
| Pumpkin | Warm spice notes, autumnal flair. |
Conclusion
While lasagna has evolved over the centuries, vegetables have remained an integral part of the dish throughout its history and development. Both meat-based and veggie-packed versions can rightly claim roots as a “traditional” lasagna.
In the modern era, there’s a strong argument to be made that vegetables should still be considered a defining feature of a classic lasagna. They offer tremendous benefits like added nutrition, textural contrast, enticing flavors and versatility. Italians themselves still frequently incorporate produce into regional lasagna specialties.
Yet there’s also no denying the enduring popularity of the italian-american style meat lasagna. Ultimately lasagna is adaptable enough to welcome all types of interpretations and variations. Whether packed with vegetables or not, lasagna in any form remains the satisfying Italian comfort food loved worldwide.