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Alternative names | Matzo lasagne, matzah lasagna, matzagna |
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Course | Dinner |
Place of origin | Israel, North America, Italy, other communities in the diaspora |
Created by | Italian Jews |
Main ingredients | Matzo, soft cheese such as ricotta or cottage cheese, eggs, bechamel or tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan or pecorino, spinach, herbs and spices |
Matzo lasagna (sometimes spelled matzah lasagna), also known as matzagna, [1] is a Jewish type of lasagna made by layering sheets of matzo with typically a tomato or a bechamel sauce and various cheeses. It originated from the Italian Jews and is popular in Israel, the United States, and the rest of the diaspora. It is similar to the traditional Sephardic Jewish dish mina; though the fillings differ as mina is typically made with meat or a spinach and feta filling while matzo lasagna is made with sauce and cheese. [2]
During Passover, Jewish law prohibits the consumption of food items other than matzo that are made with wheat or other similar grains. [3] Given these restrictions, some individuals will make lasagna by substituting matzo for traditional wheat pasta sheets. [2] Some people substitute cottage cheese or farmers cheese and abstain from ricotta cheese during Passover as Kosher-for-Passover varieties are difficult to find. [4] [5]
Matzo lasagna descended from a local Italian Jewish variant of a much older Sephardic culinary tradition of Passover pies, or casseroles, called minas. Minas are composed of sheets of matzo layered with savory ingredients and baked. Some have ground lamb in a tomato sauce; others may be made with spinach and cheese similar to the Israeli bourekas but made with matzo instead of phyllo or puff pastry. [6]
Matzo lasagna can be made with regular, shmura, egg matzo, or gluten-free matzo, [7] and fillings include tomato sauce, ricotta cheese and mozzarella-basil filling, [8] while some use fresh mozzarella, [2] a spinach-ricotta filling, [9] [10] and cheese with ramps, peas spinach, leeks and chives. [11]
Matzo lasagna is prepared by adding tomato sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish, the layering large sheets of Matzo over the sauce and then adding a layer of ricotta cheese mixed with parmesan, eggs, herbs and spices, then another layer of sauce, matzo, ricotta cheese mixture, and continuing until the pan is full and is then topped with mozzarella or similar melting cheese and baked until the cheese bubbled and the top is golden brown. [2] [12] [8]
Matzah, matzo, or maẓẓah is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which chametz is forbidden.
Lasagna is a type of pasta, possibly one of the oldest types, made of very wide, flat sheets. Either term can also refer to an Italian dish made of stacked layers of lasagna alternating with fillings such as ragù, béchamel sauce, vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings and spices. The dish may be topped with grated cheese, which becomes melted during baking. Typically cooked pasta is assembled with the other ingredients and then baked in an oven. The resulting baked pasta is cut into single-serving square or rectangular portions.
A calzone is an Italian oven-baked turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and is stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, as well as an egg. Different regional variations in or on a calzone can often include other ingredients that are normally associated with pizza toppings. The term usually applies to an oven-baked turnover rather than a fried pastry, though calzoni and panzerotti are often mistaken for each other.
Kugel is a baked casserole, most commonly made from lokshen or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. American Jews also serve it for Thanksgiving dinner.
Matzah balls or matzo balls are Ashkenazi Jewish soup morsels made from a mixture of matzah meal, beaten eggs, water, and a fat, such as oil, margarine, or chicken fat. Known as knaidel in Yiddish, they resemble a matzah meal version of knödel, bread dumplings popular throughout Central European and East European cuisine.
Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish with ground meat and béchamel sauce, with variations of the dish found in other countries of the Mediterranean Sea.
Cannelloni are a cylindrical type of lasagna generally served baked with a filling and covered by a sauce in Italian cuisine. Popular stuffings include spinach and ricotta or minced beef. The shells are then typically covered with tomato sauce.
Chametz are foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to halakha, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover. This law appears several times in the Torah; the punishment for eating chametz on Passover is the divine punishment of kareth.
Matzah brei, sometimes spelled matzah brie, matzoh brei, or matzo brei, is a dish of Ashkenazi Jewish origin made from matzah fried with eggs. It is commonly eaten as a breakfast food during the Jewish holiday of Passover. It can be prepared either sweet or savory.
Sephardic Jewish cuisine is an assortment of cooking traditions that developed among the Sephardi Jews.
Israeli cuisine primarily comprises dishes brought from the Jewish diaspora, and has more recently been defined by the development of a notable fusion cuisine characterized by the mixing of Jewish cuisine and Arab cuisine. It also blends together the culinary traditions of the various diaspora groups, namely those of the Mizrahi Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, the Sephardi Jews from Hispania, and the Ashkenazi Jews from Central/Eastern Europe.
Pizza arrived in the United States in the early 20th century along with waves of Italian immigrants who settled primarily in the large cities of the Northeast. It got a boost both in popularity and regional spread after soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Mezzelune, also known as Schlutzkrapfen in South Tyrol, Tyrol, and neighbouring German-speaking regions and as crafuncins or cajincì in Ladin-speaking regions, are a semi-circular stuffed pasta, similar to ravioli or pierogi. The dough is usually made of white flour or buckwheat flour, durum semolina, mixed with eggs and olive oil. Typical fillings may include cheese, spinach, or mushrooms. There are also recipes with potato, meat, red beet, or sauerkraut filling. The dish may be served with mushroom or pesto sauce, with salsiccia, with seafood, and/or with cherry tomatoes.
Pastelón is a Dominican and Puerto Rican dish. The dish is prepared differently on both islands.
Matzah pizza is a type of pizza made by baking a piece of matzo that has been topped with sauce and cheese. Because Jewish law prohibits the consumption of leavened bread during Passover, some people use matzo as a substitute for traditional pizza crusts during the holiday.
Matzoquiles is a Mexican–Jewish fusion dish somewhat similar to the Ashkenazi Jewish dish matzah brei, the Mexican dish chilaquiles, and the Yemenite Jewish dish fatoot samneh, and is popular during Passover.
Sorrentinos are a type of Argentine ravioli, but larger, more circular and originally wraped without fluted edge. The dough is made with flour and eggs, and the filling of the original recipe consists of York ham and mozzarella.