What ancient Greek word for a pot gave lasagna its name?

The ancient Greek word for a pot that gave lasagna its name was lasanon. The Greek term lasanon referred to a trivet, a stand for a cooking pot, or a chamber pot. The Romans borrowed the word as lasanum, meaning a cooking pot or container, and it eventually developed into the Italian lasagna.

Lasagna’s name has more than one proposed ancient connection. Another Greek word, laganon, described a flat sheet of pasta dough cut into strips, and some scholars connect that term directly to the pasta. The lasanon theory instead emphasizes the cooking vessel associated with the dish.

The food itself evolved over centuries. Ancient Roman lasanum was not identical to today’s layered pasta, while medieval Italian recipes gradually developed into dishes made with sheets, cheese, spices, sauces, and eventually meat. Tomatoes became part of many modern versions only after arriving in Europe from the Americas.