Lasagne derives from the Latin word for “cooking pot,” which flat sheets of pasta were almost always baked in. The origins of a layered baked pasta dish may go back all the way to ancient Greece, but without a doubt is now an iconic food of Italy.

Unlike the heavy meat, tomato sauce and ricotta version that is ubiquitous in America, lasagne (it ends with an ‘e’ in plural form) in regions all over Italy uses besciamella (beschamel) for a lighter but still creamy layered effect.

Here are some of our favorite lasagne recipes:

• Lasagne with sausage and leeks
• Lasagne with seafood and saffron
• Lasagne with Roasted butternut squash parfait
• Early summer lasagne