{"id":60,"date":"2018-05-15T08:42:52","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T08:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simpletasty.recipes\/?p=60"},"modified":"2019-12-10T11:21:16","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T11:21:16","slug":"15-lasagna-recipes-from-all-over-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simpletasty.recipes\/15-lasagna-recipes-from-all-over-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Lasagna Recipes From All Over the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u2018Comforting\u2019 in the culinary sense is almost always in the guise of Italian. And when it comes to Italian, lasagna – the single wide and flat pasta sheets used to make lasagne – a dish lovingly layered with these sheets, sauce and whatever filling you can think of, is probably the most loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So loved is the dish, in fact, that while the Italians lay claim to its origins in the thirteenth century, this is unlikely to be so – at least not in the form we know it today – because tomatoes had not yet made their way to Europe from South America by then. Lasagna historians argue that technically, the dish probably originated in Greece, although the Italians perfected it. In fact, \u2018lasagna\u2019 is derived from the Greek first known form of pasta, \u2018leganon\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The British, who lay claim right or wrong to so much culturally, of course could not resist claiming the first official lasagna recipe. British researchers found a cookbook dating back to the 1390s containing a lasagna recipe, starting a fevered British pitch as lasagna frontrunners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And who can blame them – if there were one recipe on earth every nation would like to claim, it would probably be lasagna. Lasagna is made in kitchens in each corner of the globe, each with its take on the most tantalizing version of the dish. Here are some of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Italy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Looking for that classic, traditional Italian recipe? Searching for one, authentic version is as fraught as asking for \u2018the\u2019 Italian carbonara recipe – even in Italy, there are variations from the kitchen to kitchen. The favored version seems to use a classic butter, flour, and milk bechamel or white sauce without any grated ricotta making its way in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other authentic Italian ingredient is the red sauce – make a homemade one with pureed tomatoes, and any other vegetables – mostly red – that you would like to add. Carrots make the cut, not least for their sweetness. Flavor with typical Italian herbs such as basil. If you want to add a not-so-authentic veggie touch, add red bell peppers for zing, and even a finely chopped, deseeded chili or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the meat, it has to be ground beef and Italian sausage. Brown it first and if you haven\u2019t diced it into small pieces, do so in a processor so it fits easily into the molten layers between the creamy-white and red sauces. Use mozzarella and parmesan for the cheese layers in between as well as the topping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Spain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Spanish version brings a smoky element to this hearty dish, thanks to that most famous of Spanish sausage exports – chorizo. One thing you won\u2019t find the Spanish compromising on is that they\u2019d only ever use cold-pressed or extra-virgin olive oil for any elements of the dish requiring cooking, such as when you simmer the onions and chorizo upfront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other cuts of meat are typically chicken breast, minced beef, minced pork, pork liver pate and minced bacon. It is also popular to mix all of these meats together but always ensure you include either chicken breast or ground beef — if you use only the pork-derived ingredients, the dish will be too sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other distinguishing factor about a Spanish lasagne is that the meat is often browned or glazed in a half a cup of brandy. Alternatively, some white wine is added to the white sauce. Serve with an olive, greens and feta salad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Portugal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Portuguese love seafood and hot food – so Portuguese take on this oven-cooked pasta dish typically involve marinara sauce. Add it to the flavoring in the tomato or red sauce, or when you brown the meat. A modern Portuguese flavoring leans towards the fiery hot-meats-barbecue flavors of Sriracha sauce instead of marinara sauce. A mixture of ground beef and pork are the preferred meats. Season with garlic, nutmeg, and pepper or paprika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The type and amount of bechamel sauce you used is downplayed in favor of richness. To achieve this, add whipping cream into the sauce by scaling back on the milk. Decadent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a seafood take, a fleshy fish such as cod or kingklip or hake is used, flaked and seasoned with salt, parsley and pepper. You could also add mussel meat and shrimps. Some recipes also add slices of boiled egg to the flaked fish layer. If you go the seafood route, ditch the sriracha or marinara sauce opting only for traditional bechamel instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Greece<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Greeks either transform this dish into a mouthwatering moussaka, considered by many to be the Greek \u2018version\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s no reason not to include both. It\u2019s the layering that\u2019s quintessentially the same – and idea the Greeks say they deserve the original credit for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Lebanon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you like spicy and rich that evokes, funnily enough, Morocco, this is the version you\u2019d want to try. For the bechamel sauce with Parmesan, a Lebanese twist is to use yogurt, tahini and feta or even sour cream, with vegetables safely used instead of meat if you prefer. The vegetable of choice is often mushrooms. As mushrooms absorb flavor but also reduce the intensity of flavor, it allows you to play with really piquant sauce substitutes such as the sour-cream infused bechamel version. Tahini is otherwise known as ardeh, and is made from toasted sesame seeds. It is what gives Middle Eastern dishes such as this one their distinctively smokey, rich undertones, along with the zestiness of coriander or cilantro in the sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the veggies, you could also opt to use a combination of aubergine, courgettes, red peppers, red onion and tomato, all in chunks, not pureed. This is your meat substitute if you wish, not your sauce. To stick with the meat version, lamb or ground beef is best with the aromatics such as sour cream, tahini and cilantro in Lebanese cooking. For the cheese, use feta not mozzarella with your Parmesan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. South Africa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

South African cooking is a blend of many cultures and open-fire cooking also dominates. When it comes to lasagna South African style, you\u2019re trying to infuse the dish with sweet-savory flavors, and or smokey, open-fire undertones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve the smokiness, use bacon as your base before adding the chopped onions to brown your meat. It\u2019s perfectly fine to stick to a mix of ground beef and ground pork, but you could always cheat by extracting the meat from pork banger sausages. Similarly, this local version would use the local sausage meat, or boerewors, as a beef substitute, or readily available ostrich mince locally. The latter is leaner and healthier but requires more basic seasoning such as salt and pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To sustain the smokiness in the red sauce, add smoked paprika. To achieve the distinctive sweet-sour notes in the meant, add oregano, Italian herbs, Worcester sauce and the local \u2018chutney\u2019. This is a relish made from fruits such as apricots. These extra sauces not only add depth of flavor, but help to marinate the meat when more exotic game versions such as crocodile or warthog are used as the meat base in upscale safari restaurants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Mexico<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mexican cuisine, with its cheese, taco and chili bias, always delights. It\u2019s no surprise then that the Mexican version of this Italian staple is stubbornly Mexican in nature, too. Mexicans love to push the boundaries and use tacos or even nachos instead of the pasta layers. The Mexicans like it spicy and hot, so chili powder is often added to the meat flavoring or red sauce or both, or the red sauce is swapped out for taco sauce altogether. Corner kernels and jalapeno are often added to the meat layer or the red sauce for an extra bit of crunch and color. For the cheese, the local Mexican blends are used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what about tequila? Naturally, it can and is sometimes added to the sauces, mainly the white sauces. As the alcohol itself reduces, you\u2019ll pick it up in the zesty undertones coming through if you do add it. If you\u2019re adding it for the first time, don\u2019t add too much – the taste is somewhat acquired in this dish and you\u2019ll have to work out what you can handle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8. Louisiana<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

OK, so it\u2019s not a country but few things beat deep-south fried anything American. The Louisiana take on this classic is all about cajun and creole flavoring. First things first – the meat. With southern-fried flavoring, it\u2019s all \u2018go big or go home\u2019, so while you could stick to ground beef, try to go big in this version with steak strips, barbecued any cut of meat, or even southern-fried chicken strips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To go truly cajun though, it needs to be seafood. Usually, crayfish tails and shrimp are used. You\u2019ll also incorporate jalapeno and bell pepper for pop. Season your seafood with a spice like Tony\u2019s and only cook it half-way through – the rest of the cooking will happen in the oven, otherwise the fish will be too soft and almost melt away. Parmesan, ricotta and Pepper Jack round out your decadent southern take on this dish, with all three cheeses being incorporated into the white sauce as well as used as the final layer on top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. China<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re into sweet and sour offerings, you\u2019ll know that most of them originate in the Cantonese province of China. This Canton-inspired dish also draws in Pakistani flavors, knowingly or inadvertently. For the meat, you\u2019ll definitely want to use chicken breast cubes or skinless chicken meat, especially for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The secret to the flavoring is to first marinate the chicken. Do this at least 90 minutes before the time but if you can let it marinate overnight, that\u2019s even better. For your marinade sauce – which will also be the sauce in which you cook your meat, combine the following to taste: mustard, chili, and garlic (and cilantro, optional), hot sauce, ketchup, oregano, and garlic. Also, be sure to add some chili and capsicums as well as peppers when you actually cook your meat, and you could also add bok choy. The latter is like Chinese spinach and quite harmless – it won\u2019t affect the flavor profile, but will add a lovely crunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. India<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lasagna is a favorite Indian dish, not least because the population is largely vegetarian and you can use so many vegetable substitutes, such as lentils, spinach and sweet pumpkin with carrots, instead of meat. In fact, many Indian recipes combine both meat and vegetables, such as lamb mince and courgettes, or boiled eggs, for example. To get that typically Indian taste, the trick is to fry your onions with cumin seeds before adding your meat or vegetables. Garlic, chili, and coriander should also be added. If you want to go the full Monti, add tandoori spices, masala, curry and bay leaf or any combination you fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lentil and butternut version works just as well with these flavors. You could add cinnamon if you prefer a slightly sweet taste coming through, and also aniseed to your spice mix when you braze your onions. The vegetable version is best enjoyed with more robust cheese combinations such as feta and a piquant Cheddar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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11. Hawaii<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all know Hawaiian pizza so Hawaiian lasagne, why not? The same ham and pineapple knockout combination applies. Instead of traditional meats, use that leftover ham or bacon or even gammon from your feast the day before. If you glazed your gammon, that\u2019s even better!
It all depends on how sweet you like your \u2018Hawaiian\u2019 – if you\u2019re bold, you could even add glazed cherries. If you don\u2019t have pineapple, lightly fry your ham or bacon in pineapple or grenadilla extract or syrup. Maple syrup will also do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To bulk up your \u2018meat\u2019 layer, you could also add other vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, corn, and spinach. As for the cheese, comforting mozzarella and feta work best – but add Parmesan shavings if you have it, or goat\u2019s cheese or even blue cheese if you\u2019d like to offset the sweetness slightly. Just make sure to top with pineapple chunks as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Japan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What is Japan\u2019s best-loved culinary export? Sushi. And its most famous sauce? Teriyaki. So what do you get when you combine those elements into layers? Japanese lasagna of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salmon and seared tuna will work best, as these are fleshy fish that will hold up well. If you don\u2019t have these, opt for a robust, fleshy fish such as kingklip or even haddock or mackerel. Layer with seaweed, not pasta sheets, as you want to get this as close to a Japanese reinvention as possible and use the teriyaki as the seafood marinade and as an extra sauce in between. You should also add soy, oyster and sesame seed sauce to your sauce mix with the teriyaki but if you don\u2019t have all three, try at least for soy. If you have Worcester near, that will work as well. Sushi, layered, and in an oven-dish, reinvented with cheese. Keep the choice of cheese as light as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13. American Fast-Food Style Lasagna<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This one comes with all the fast-food trimmings you\u2019re expect, if you are craving something ultra-quick, comforting and don\u2019t mind the calorie count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, use burger patties as your meat, along with meat sauce, ready-made white sauce and tomato sauce in a jar. Or, use passata, thickened with tomato paste and basil. You could go epic and add the likes of bacon or chicken nuggets or fried chicken strips to your meat layer. What makes fast food so delicious most of the time is how it oozes fat appeal – usually from cheese. So, add an extra layer of store-bought cheese sauce, or slather in those cheese slices thick and fast. If you like, drop the bechamel and singularly add the cheese sauce. For a bit of crunch at the top, some recipes called for diced bacon bits, breadcrumbs, and then cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14. Norway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Scandinavian countries are not what we\u2019d normally associate with comforting Italian but they do know a thing or two about comfort, especially given the climate! Many lasagna reinventions in Norway are not reinventions at all, as they are quite traditional. So, to get a Scandi take, look to the likes of the oven-based fish dishes for inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by using not meat, but a robust fish such as haddock – a Norwegian favorite. Lightly simmer in onions, perhaps leeks if you have any; spring onions are also fine and some parsley. The differentiating taste will be in the sour cream and bread crumb combo – smother your fish layer in this, and use sour cream as an extra layer in between your bechamel. You could also add it to your bechamel, or use a sour cream dip altogether as the \u2018Scandi\u2019 layer instead of the sour cream. The savory flavors are incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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15. Irish Lasagna<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think shepherd\u2019s pie, and you\u2019ve got it. Basically, shepherd’s pie probably is lasagna, Irish-style, period. Use ground beef or lamb as your base, browned with onion, bay leaf, rosemary, some vegetables such as corn and cook it to a sweet-sour or savory taste, whatever you prefer. If you\u2019re going sweet-sour, simple thing of combinations such as Worcester, soy and honey, or sweet chili and Worcester, mustard and ketchup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The layers are your meat, bechamel, red sauce and, of course, mashed potatoes. The potatoes should not be lumpy and silky inconsistency. To achieve this, add both butter and milk or cream to your potatoes and \u2018beat\u2019 them. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Do not use a mild cheese such as feta, but a more piquant combination such as Cheddar, goat and ricotta, or blue cheese and ricotta cheese. Also, make sure that your spud layer is not too thick, or it will overpower the entire dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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