National Lasagna Day is a holiday commemorated annually on July 29th to celebrate one of the most quintessential Italian dishes. A dish that is not only popular in the United States but also enjoys enormous popularity throughout the entire world, despite the fact that there is debate among culinary historians over when this dish was actually created.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with this Italian dish, lasagna is made by stacking layers of flat pasta in an alternating pattern with various toppings that can include ground meats, tomato sauce, cheeses, vegetables, and a number of different seasonings. Traditionally, this dish is assembled and then baked in an oven. After it’s done baking, it’s then cut into squares and served.

The History Of Lasagna

According to some historians, a Medieval dish called Loseyns that was popular in England was the first lasagna ever made. Loseyns is a dish that was made by taking thin dried sheets of flour-based pasta and then cooking it in a broth to soften it. These noodles were then layered in an alternating pattern with Ruayn cheese, spices, and butter.

The one thing that this dish didn’t have, however, was any type of tomato sauce. That’s because tomatoes to make tomato sauce weren’t available in England at this time. Tomatoes wouldn’t arrive in Europe until Christopher Columbus brought them from the New World during the late 15th century.

Since this dish didn’t contain tomatoes, some people don’t believe that it could be the first lasagna. These critics instead point to dishes that were first made in Naples as the first lasagna dishes. Nowadays, Lasagne di Carnevale is considered to be the traditional lasagna of Naples. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to locate the origins of National Lasagna Day.

Fun Facts About Lasagna

When we did our research for National Lasagna Day, we came across a lot of fascinating facts about this type of pasta. So many, in fact, that we don’t think we could fit them all on this page.

So instead of trying to squeeze all of those facts into this small section of this holiday article, we decided to instead choose the ones that we found to be the most interesting. So without further ado, we’ve listed some tasty lasagna facts below that we think everyone will enjoy.

Lasagna or Lasagne?

Lasagne means more than one sheet of pasta, so technically it’s the plural of lasagna. However, in many languages, including English, the word lasagna is used to describe a whole fully-baked version of this pasta dish.

England Versus Naples?

As we said in the history section of this holiday, there’s some controversy as to where lasagna was invented. Some people believe it descended from an English dish known as Loseyns, while others attribute it to a 14th-century Naples dish that was placed in the cookbook Liber de Coquina. It’s believed that Lasagne di Carnevale descended from the 14th-century dish in that cookbook.

The Largest Lasagna Weighed over 10,000 Pounds

Ever wonder who holds the record for the largest lasagna in the world? Well, if you have, then you need not wonder any longer. The largest lasagna in the world was created by Magillo Restaurant and Macro Supermarket in Wieliczka, Poland. This lasagna was made on June 20, 2012, and weighed over 10,725 pounds and 7 ounces.

The Most Expensive Lasagna Costs $100 A Slice

Now that we know what the largest lasagna in the world was, let’s talk about the most expensive lasagna in the world. This lasagna is sold at Portofino Restaurant at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. This lasagna is known as the Diamond & Gold Lasagna. Why does it cost so much?

This lasagna has layers of pasta that are stuffed with porcini mushrooms, Iberico ham, and Prosciutto di Parma. It’s also covered with an Alfredo sauce infused with foie gras. Served on top are white diamond truffles that have been shaved and 23-carat gold flakes. Sounds a little rich to us.

Customs, Traditions & Celebrations For National Lasagna Day

Anyone yearning to celebrate National Lasagna Day only has to enjoy this dish in one of its many forms. This can mean buying a frozen lasagna from your local grocery store freezer section, or it can mean making your own. Since we’re purists, we highly recommend that everyone try their hand at making this spectacular dish. There are dozens of different lasagna recipes out there, so it’s just a matter of choosing the one that you like the best.

Perhaps you want to try out a traditional Venezuelan-style lasagna known as Pasticho, or maybe you’re looking for something more traditional like a sausage lasagna. No matter which version of lasagna you choose, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalLasagnaDay on your social media accounts as you enjoy eating it.