ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lasagna

n. C / U
A2 Elementary US //ɫɑˈsɑnjə// UK //ləzˈænjɐ// lasagna

n. a popular Italian dish made of layers of flat pasta, meat or vegetables, cheese, and tomato sauce.

n. a baked Italian dish consisting of alternating layers of wide, flat pasta sheets and various fillings, typically including ragù, béchamel, and cheese.


SIMPLE

We are having homemade lasagna for dinner tonight.

CONTEXTUAL

The chef carefully layered the pasta and sauce to ensure the lasagna held its shape when sliced.

COMPLEX

While traditional recipes from Bologna use green spinach pasta and a rich meat sauce, modern variations of lasagna often incorporate roasted vegetables or seafood to cater to diverse dietary preferences.

Synonyms
Origin

From Italian lasagna (and its plural lasagne), possibly from Vulgar Latin *lasania, from Latin lasanum (“cooking pot”), from Ancient Greek λάσανον (lásanon, “trivet or stand for a pot”). Others argue the Italian lasagna originally derived from the Arabic لَوْزِينَج (lawzīnaj, “almond cake”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the dish in general; countable when referring to specific portions or different recipes.

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