Celebrate National Lasagna Day Every July 29
Mmmm… Lasagna. Cheesy, tomatoey, and perfectly savory. It’s the reason for the day. What day you ask? National Lasagna Day, of course!
A thick slab of this layered creation hits the spot any day. But of course we don’t eat it every day. It takes time to make. And it’s not exactly a light meal.
But at least one day a year you just must have some. And July 29 is that day.
Now, you’re not limited to just this one day. Not at all! But on this one day you are limited to eating lasagna.
For breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Ok, no. But at least for one meal, absolutely.
Go with a “light” version if you must. But seriously, once in a while you just need to forget about diets and calories and fat and all that. We believe National Lasagna Day is one of those times.
We have no idea who came up with the idea for this day. Probably someone who loved lasagna. Maybe Garfield the Cat?
A Bite of Lasagna Trivia
The word lasagna refers both to the wide, flat noodles and the dish made by layering those noodles with other ingredients and sauces. But it originally meant the pot/pan used to cook the dish.
Lasagne is the plural form of lasagna. It’s also the term Italians always use.
Southern Italians often use the rippled noodles, while Northern Italians tend to prefer the flat ones.
Many different cultures have been making noodles for at least 4,000 years, but historians don’t agree on who made the very first pasta.
Although lasagna is (rightly) considered an Italian dish, if it existed before the 16th century it couldn’t have been made with tomatoes. Why? Because tomatoes are from the New World and didn’t make it over to the Old World until the 16th century.
Most American recipes for lasagna use ricotta and mozzarella cheeses plus meat and a tomato-based sauce. But the traditional Italian lasagna uses ragu and bechamel sauces along with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Of course the move to healthier meals has resulted in creating a whole variety of lasagna versions. Some even replace the noodles with vegetables, like zucchini or eggplant.
But no matter what fillings you use—or whether your noodles are actually veggie strips— the assembled dish always goes into the oven to bake.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficially delicious holiday.
Ideas For Celebrating National Lasagna Day
Like with all the food holidays, the concept is simple: Eat what you’re celebrating. In this case lasagna.
Now, we know it’s July. And your kitchen’s probably hot enough without turning on the oven. But it’s lasagna! Just think about how it makes the whole house smell amazing.
But you could opt to eat out tonight, and let someone else do the lasagna cooking.
If you do decide to go with homemade, either use your favorite recipe or try something new:
- Lasagna with Ricotta and Mozzarella, from Lidia Bastianich (Lidia’s Kitchen, Lidia’s Italy). Lida includes lots of tips in her recipe for making sure your lasagna turns out perfect.
- Lazy-Day Overnight Lasagna. Assemble one day, bake the next.
- Bacon Cheeseburger Lasagna. How can you possibly go wrong with all that goodness in one dish?
- Zucchini Lasagna. Replace noodles with strips of zucchini for a (slightly) healthier option. Or if you’re on a low-carb diet.
- Eggplant Lasagna. This one doesn’t replace the noodles with eggplant. Instead it replaces the meat with eggplant and red peppers.
- Seafood Lasagna. If you love seafood, here’s a unique way to serve it. And still honor Lasagna Day!
Remember how we mentioned lasagna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner earlier? If you’re feeling creative and plan ahead, you really can do lasagna for breakfast with Pancake Lasagna. Not even remotely traditional, for sure. But it looks divine!
And you can even have lasagna for dessert. Think Chocolate Lasagna. Heaven.
Don’t forget the wine! Preferably red.
What are your plans for National Lasagna Day this year?
