[5][6][7][8] The word λαγάνα (lagana) is still used in Greek to mean a flat thin type of unleavened bread baked for the Clean Monday holiday.

[citation needed] Another proposed link or reference is the 14th-century English dish loseyn[14] as described in The Forme of Cury, a cookbook prepared by "the chief Master Cooks of King Richard II",[15] which included English recipes as well as dishes influenced by Spanish, French, Italian, and Arab cuisines.

When referring to the baked dish, regional usage in Italy favours the plural form lasagne in the north of the country and the singular lasagna in the south.

[22] It bore only a slight resemblance to the later traditional form of lasagna, featuring a fermented dough flattened into thin sheets, boiled, sprinkled with cheese and spices, and then eaten with a small pointed stick.

[24] Similar pastas are the narrower lasagnette and its longer cousin, the lasagnotte (cappellasci [sic] in Liguria[24][25]), as well as the sagne of Salento (the "heel" of the Italian "boot"),[24] and lagana in the remainder of Apulia.

Here, and especially in its capital, Bologna, layers of lasagna are traditionally green (the colour is obtained by mixing spinach or other vegetables into the dough)[27] and served with ragù (a thick sauce made with onions, carrots, celery, finely ground pork and beef, butter, and tomatoes),[28][29] béchamel sauce, and Parmesan cheese.

[30][31] In other regions, lasagna can be made with various combinations of ricotta or mozzarella, tomato sauce, meats (such as ground beef, pork, veal or chicken), and vegetables (such as spinach, zucchini, olives, and mushrooms), and the dish is typically flavoured with wine, garlic, onion, and oregano.