This lasagna recipe is a top food trend of 2020 (2024)

With the new year comes a fresh batch of new food trends. In 2020 a beloved and timeless dish has already made its way to the top of the list!

The Wall Street Journal recently dubbed lasagna as one of the "hot food trends" to watch this year and between its versatility, layers of decadent texture and overall mass appeal, it's no secret that this food can stand the test of time. Just ask Garfield the cat.

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Lasagna is the perfect dish to keep warm and cozy during cold winter months, so it makes total sense that so many people are hot on the baked layered pasta dish right now.

Since some home cooks may be trying to stick to those healthy resolutions, at least for now, chef and author Jamie Oliver has a healthy twist on the recipe to keep everyone happy.

The "Ultimate Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone" author joined "Good Morning America" to whip up his eggplant-centric take from his latest cookbook.

This lasagna recipe is a top food trend of 2020 (1)

Oliver also shared his simple salad with bitter endive, sweet shallots and an orange dressing that adds a bright note to any table, especially paired with the rich lasagna.

Plus, since plant-based meals are also on the 2020 food trend radar, this meal encapsulates the best of both.

Scruffy Eggplant Lasange

Oliver said that what makes this baked dish "scruffy" is the hand torn sheets of noodles. With sweet tomato sauce, garlic, sage, lemon, cheese and almond crunch this is a bright and delicious veggie friendly option.

Serves: 6

Total cook time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients:

3 large eggplants (14 oz each)

3 onions

6 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of fresh sage (1 oz)

olive oil

1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

1 lemon

2 14 ounce cans of quality plum tomatoes

3 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese

3 ounces Parmesan cheese

10 ounces fresh lasagna sheets

1 3/4 ounces blanched almonds

Directions:

Place a large shallow casserole pan on a medium heat with 1 cup of water. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and place in the pan. Peel, quarter and add the onions, then cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic and pick the sage leaves. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the lid, and once most of the liquid has cooked away, make a well in the middle. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, the garlic, chili flakes and most of the sage leaves, then finely grate in the lemon zest. Once golden, scrunch in the tomatoes, pour in 2 cans' worth of water, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from the heat, grate in the cheeses, then season to absolute perfection with sea salt and black pepper.

Tear in the pasta sheets and mix up really well to coat and separate, then pull some of the sheets to the top to create a top layer. Bash the almonds until fine and rub the remaining sage leaves with oil, then sprinkle on top.

Use the back of a spoon to create some dips and wells, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Chef swap: To make this dish vegetarian, swap out Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.

Lady Marmalade Salad

This lasagna recipe is a top food trend of 2020 (3)

Serves: 4
Total cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons mixed shelled unsalted nuts, such as walnut halves, almonds, pistachios
2 large shallots
4 oranges
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon liquid honey
4 mixed-color endive
1/2 bunch of fresh chervil (1/2 ounce)

Directions:
Toast the nuts in a large dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden, then bash in a pestle and mortar until fine.

Peel the shallots and slice a quarter-inch thick, then dry-fry for five minutes, or until lightly charred, tossing regularly.

Juice the oranges, pour into the pan and simmer until syrupy, then remove from the heat. Add the vinegar, three tablespoons of oil and the honey, then season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper (it should be slightly too acidic and salty, to make the magic happen).
Halve the endive, finely slice the base end, then click the leaves apart and place in a salad bowl. Note: This would work well with any kind of bitter salad leaves.

Spoon over the warm dressing, pick over the chervil leaves and sprinkle with the crushed nuts, then toss to dress.

Jamie's suggestion: This is brilliant with goat’s cheese and hot toasts, plus a glass of dry white wine.

MORE: The pan-banging method explained: How to make perfect crinkle chocolate chip cookies

Recipe reprinted courtesy of "Ultimate Veg." Copyright 2019 by Jamie Oliver Enterprises. All rights reserved. Printed in Italy Graphicom.

This lasagna recipe is a top food trend of 2020 (2024)

FAQs

When did lasagna became popular? ›

Eventually, lasagna made its way to North America in the late 1800s with Italian immigrants who brought their family recipes to the New World. Shortly after, Americans were introduced to Parmigiano-Reggiano embraced with layers of slow-cooked tomato sauce separated by perfectly cooked lasagna noodles.

What is the top of lasagna? ›

Finish off your lasagne either with a layer of tomato-based sauce or with your white sauce – whichever you have left – and then grate over plenty of Parmigiano-Reggiano. A common extra topping is torn mozzarella, which makes a lovely, melted cheesy layer on top.

Why do people love lasagna? ›

As I wrote back in 2022, "Lasagna is also a perfect 'one pot meal,' it's an easy dish to make and then wrap up with foil and give to a new neighbor or someone grieving and it doesn't "require" any side dishes (although a green salad, some crusty bread and some extra sauce and grated cheese on the side are certainly ...

Why is lasagna interesting? ›

Lasagna is considered one of the oldest pasta dishes in Italian cuisine, attested to in medieval literature soon after Marco Polo returned from his travels in Asia. Polo himself recounts eating a dish in China that he called lasagne, noting that the flour used for the noodles was from breadfruit. What's on the Menu?

What country is famous for lasagna? ›

Lasagna originated in Italy during the Middle Ages.

Is lasagna popular in Italy? ›

Lasagna is considered a festive dish in Italy, typically prepared for special occasions like Christmas, weddings, and other significant events. In certain regions such as Emilia-Romagna, a unique version called lasagna alla bolognese is popular, which features meat sauce and béchamel sauce.

Does a lasagna have 2 or 3 layers? ›

Generally, lasagna has about 3 or 4 layers of pasta, with sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, béchamel, and sometimes meat or even meatballs or sausage between those layers.

What is lasagna actually called? ›

Lasagna – the name and the dish – is of ancient origin. There are various theories about the word, such as the Latin lasanum for “cooking pot,” or the ancient Greek and Roman laganum for “flat piece of bread”. Within Italy, still today, variations of the name persist, such as sagne or lagana.

What goes first in lasagna sheet or meat? ›

Line the bottom of the baking pan with 4 cooked lasagna noodles, overlapping them. Spread the ricotta mixture first then the meat sauce on top. Sprinkle grated mozzarella and top with another three noodles. Repeat layering the ricotta and meat sauce with the cheese.

Is lasagna healthy yes or no? ›

The classic lasagna trio - cheese, pasta, and rich sauces - often contributes to its high calorie and carbohydrate content. These ingredients, while delicious, can be heavy in fats and refined carbs, which may not align with certain dietary goals.

What does lasagna do to your body? ›

Lasagna is a good source of protein, especially when it's packed with meat and cheese. A slice can deliver between 15-25 grams of protein, contributing to muscle growth and repair.

Why is homemade lasagna better? ›

Start with the sauce, and make your own, which will always be better than anything you buy. Making sauce is easy, but it takes time, especially if it's a long-simmered meat sauce. You can do this a couple of days ahead of assembling the lasagna and refrigerate it, or weeks ahead and store it in the freezer.

How do Italians serve lasagne? ›

Served. In a wide, shallow bowl with a broad rim (useful for balancing bread on, see below), which means the lasagne will sit squat in its own sauce, rather than those juices running all over the plate and going cold too quickly.

Why does leftover lasagna taste better? ›

Dishes like lasagne or a curry also benefit from being cooked a second time, allowing more chemical reactions to take place. The key one, said Silco*ck, is the Maillard reaction, which is what happens when amino acids hit sugars at high temperatures.

When did Lasagna Love start? ›

In 2020, prompted by the COVID-related struggles of families in her community and her own feeling of helplessness, she founded Lasagna Love.

What came first, lasagna or moussaka? ›

Greek Moussaka is a recent invention that goes back to the 1920s when a Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes took the Middle Eastern dish and fused it with Lasagna. However, it became so popular and tasty that it well surpassed the original Middle Eastern version. Greek Moussaka, on the other hand, comes from Lasagna.

Why does day old lasagna taste better? ›

Have you noticed if you cut your lasagne as soon as it comes out of the oven, it can be sloppy, falls apart easily and the sauce runs to the bottom of the dish? When you have it the next day, the sauce has had time to firm up and create an even richer tomato taste,” she says.

Did lasagna originate in Greece? ›

Well, you might be surprised to learn that lasagna can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who used the word 'laganon' to describe the world's first form of pasta, a flat dough sliced into strips and layered with sauce.

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