Definition

1. Noun (countable):
   • A baked Italian dish consisting of layers of wide, flat pasta sheets, typically alternating with layers of sauce (often a meat or tomato-based ragù), cheese (such as ricotta, mozzarella, or Parmesan), and other ingredients like vegetables or meat.
2. Noun (uncountable):
   • The specific type of pasta used to make the dish, characterized by its very wide, flat, often rectangular or ribbon-like strips.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (countable, the dish):
  • I'm making a vegetarian lasagne for dinner tonight.
  • This restaurant serves the best lasagne in the city.
  • She brought a large lasagne to the potluck party.
• Noun (uncountable, the pasta):
  • You need to boil the lasagne sheets for a few minutes before assembling the dish.
  • Is the lasagne in the pantry, or do we need to buy some?

Advanced Usage

• The word can be spelled as "lasagna" (singular) and "lasagne" (plural) in English, though "lasagna" is often used for both the dish and the pasta in American English. In the context of the baked dish, it is frequently treated as a singular mass noun (e.g., "some lasagna").
• "A lasagne" typically refers to one whole baked casserole dish or a serving from it.
• The term is often used metonymically to refer to the meal itself.
  • What's for dinner? – Lasagne.

Variants and Related Words

• Lasagna (n.): The common alternative spelling, especially in American English.
• Pasta (n.): The general category of Italian food made from dough, which includes lasagne/lasagna.
• Pasta al forno (n., Italian): A broader term for baked pasta dishes, which includes lasagne.

Synonyms

• Baked pasta (n.): A more general term for any pasta dish cooked in the oven.
• Pasta casserole (n.): A descriptive synonym, though less specific to the Italian style.

Related Phrases / Collocations

• To bake a lasagne: The primary cooking method for the dish.
  • It needs to bake a lasagne for about 45 minutes.
• A layer of lasagne: Refers to one stratum of pasta, sauce, and cheese within the dish.
  • The secret is in the ricotta cheese layer of lasagne.
• Lasagne sheets: The individual pieces of the specific pasta.
  • Use oven-ready lasagne sheets to save time.
• Vegetable lasagne / Spinach and ricotta lasagne: Common variations specifying the main non-meat ingredients.
• Meat lasagne / Beef lasagne: Common variations specifying the type of meat used.

Noun

1. very wide flat strips of pasta
2. baked dish of layers of lasagna pasta with sauce and cheese and meat or vegetables