# lasagna

/ɫɑˈsɑnjə/ (US) · /ləzˈænjɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lasagna
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the baked dish

noun · CEFR A2

a meal made by baking layers of flat pasta with meat, vegetables, and cheese sauce.

For teachers: a baked Italian dish composed of multiple layers of wide pasta sheets interspersed with fillings such as ragù, béchamel, and cheese.

- We are having homemade lasagna for dinner with a side of garlic bread.
- The chef's signature lasagna features a slow-cooked Bolognese sauce and a delicate nutmeg-infused béchamel, layered between fresh egg pasta sheets.

### 2. the pasta sheets

noun · CEFR B1

the wide, flat sheets of pasta used to make the dish.

For teachers: the specific variety of pasta that is formed into wide, flat, rectangular sheets.

- You need to boil the lasagna for a few minutes before you start layering the dish.
- The recipe specifies using dried lasagna with ruffled edges to help the sauce adhere better to the pasta layers.

### 3. a layered structure

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · Humorous

a way of describing something that has many different layers, like the food.

For teachers: a metaphorical reference to a structure or system composed of multiple distinct, overlapping layers.

- The city's history is a lasagna of different cultures and traditions.
- The geologist described the rock formation as a lasagna of sedimentary deposits, each representing a different era of the planet's history.

## Examples

- We are having homemade lasagna for dinner tonight.
- The chef carefully layered the pasta and sauce to ensure the lasagna held its shape when sliced.
- 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.

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