An Italian food menu just wouldn’t be complete without lasagna listed on it. The dish is a dinner favorite at Earth, Wind & Flour, other restaurants, and many households across the world.

Lasagna (plural “lasagne”) is a flat and expanded pasta sheet, traditionally made in Italy with Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan cheese), Béchamel sauce (white sauce), and ragù (a meat-based sauce). Despite the traditional form still being popular, lasagna has taken on many different recipes over the years. The dish is made by stacking lasagna sheets on top of each other with meats, vegetables, cheeses, and tomato sauce between. It is then baked before being served.

Lasagna has a debated history among food lovers

There are a few different ideas about the origins of the tasty dish. The Vegetarian Challenge lists three theories about lasagna’s possible beginning. First they say that the word lasagna could come from “the Greek word ‘lasagnum’ which is the word for the dish the pasta based meal is made in.” They continue this by stating that the Greeks transferred the dish to the Romans, causing it to “spread like wild fire over Europe courtesy of the massive Roman empire.”

The site says the second theory is similar to the first, except that the word instead comes from the Greek “laganon,” which they describe as “a flat sheet of pasta cut into strips.” They continue by saying the dish made its way to Italy decades later, with the term “lasagna” eventually coming to refer to the food and not the cooking dish anymore.

The last theory says lasagna has connections to the 14th century English recipe “loseyn.” The Vegetarian Challenge says there are similarities between the dishes, but that “the major differences include the lack of tomatoes which were brought in by Columbus in 1492.”

There is also some difference of opinion as to when the recipe for lasagna was first published. Many believe it first hit the papers in Naples (Campania) in Italy. Others stick to the idea that it was first published in the oldest-surviving cookbook in Britain (called the Forme of Cury). In modern times the dish can be found in most cookbooks.

The tasty Italian dish holds some records

Guinness World Records tells us that the world’s largest lasagna was “created by Magillo Restaurant and Macro Supermarket (both Poland), in Wieliczka, Poland, on 20 June 2012.” It came in at 10,725 pounds and 7 ounces, with the dish it filled measuring 82 feet. The giant lasagna “took ten hours to bake and was divided into 10,000 portions,” according to Eater.

Earth, Wind & Flour loves serving up lasagna to customers

Lasagna is one of our favorite dishes to make at our restaurant. We are proud to offer both meat-filled lasagna and vegetarian lasagna. With its interesting history, big records, and wonderful taste, lasagna is simply a standout meal.