4. Greece
The Greeks either transform this dish into a mouthwatering moussaka, considered by many to be the Greek ‘version’ of lasagna, or infuse it with all the Greek flavors you would expect. For the meat component, the Greeks are revered for slow-roast lamb, so lamb shank leftovers are bound to be making their way into the local lasagnes. Spicing comes down to fresh parsley and mint, with some cooks even going so far as to add a mint sauce or mint-and-pesto infusion as a light extra layer in between the red sauce and white sauce.
Moussaka involves ditching the flat pasta sheets altogether, with thin layers of eggplant or aubergine and mashed potato making their way in instead. Many recipes ditch the red sauce, retaining only the white sauce, but there’s no reason not to include both. It’s the layering that’s quintessentially the same – and idea the Greeks say they deserve the original credit for.