14th Century Lasagne Recipe

How to make it

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• Dissolve the yeast in a little of the water. Leave to proof for 10 minutes, then mix into the flour. Dissolve the salt in the remaining water and add to the flour mixture to form a dough that is not too stiff. Knead for about 10 minutes as you would a bread or pizza dough. The dough should be smooth and elastic; it should reveal many tiny holes when you cut it with a knife.
• Cover the dough with a towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour.
• Grate the cheese and prepare the spice mixture; set aside. Toward the end of the rising time, bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil; add a few drops of oil to prevent the lasagne from sticking to one another.
• Preheat a baking or gratin dish in the oven or by filling it with boiling water (being sure to dry it thoroughly before using).
• Punch down the dough, knead it back into a ball, and roll it out to an even thickness of about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm). This dough has a tendency to stick, so flour your work surface well. Unless you have a great deal of space, you will probably have to divide the dough into 2 or more pieces for rolling and cutting. Cut the sheet or sheets of dough into 2 inch (5 cm) squares.
• Cook the lasagne in the rapidly boiling water; stir as you add them to keep them from sticking. They are done when they rise to the surface of the water; this will take a mere 2 or 3 minutes. Taste one to make sure it is cooked; it should not taste of flour and should be elastic but not too soft. Al Dente is perfect.
• Remove the lasagne with a skimmer or slotted spoon; do not drain them completely dry. Place a layer of lasagne in the preheated baking dish, sprinkle it generously with good Parmesan, a good pinch of spices and 2 or 3 grinds of black pepper. Repeat until you have run out of lasagne.
• Finally, top with plenty of Parmesan and sprinkle with spices and pepper.
• Serve immediately in heated soup plates.