Lasagna is the very definition of comfort food for me. Bold flavours, hearty, and delicious! The origin of Lasagne dates back to the middle ages when Italians began stuffing ragu, bechamel, and parmesan between layers of pasta strips. Over the years, Lasagne began showing up in different shapes and sizes with all sorts of stuffings. Each family had their own special recipe. And as these families emigrated to the States and other parts of the world, they spread their recipes. Tuscany at Trident Hyderabad is hosting a Lasagne festival showcasing a dozen different varieties of Lasagne.
The festival menu – ‘Delizioso Lasagna’ – classifies its offerings into three sections. The World of Classics, Around the World, and Trident Twist. I was invited to a blogger’s table for which Chef had prepared personal sized portions of some of the offerings. From the Classics, I was served Roast Vegetables – a classic layered Lasagne with a stuffing of tomatoes, cheese, and basil. The cheese layered pasta was absolutely yum, but sans any meat, the tomatoes were a tad too overpowering for my liking. The Mushroom Timballo featuring rice, mushrooms and parmesan was my favourite among the vegetarian selection. Multigrain, a Trident innovation, featuring Avocado, Sweet pepper, and Zucchini was hearty and well balanced. Crisp and Fresh, another selection from the Trident Twist section, was served to us on the edges of a plate of the Open Faced. The Open Faced featuring a lasagna strip stuffed with sous vide cooked pork belly was the standout dish. Tender, delicate pork wrapped in a creamy lasagna – what’s there to not love! The Crisp and Fresh featured fried pasta strips served with roasted Roma tomatoes and a terrific saffron and cheese sauce. I’m not sure how it would work as a stand-alone dish, but it complimented the Open Faced wonderfully. Pastelon was another Lasagna that was quite atypical with the minced chicken stuffing being complemented by sweetish plantains and raisins.
Tuscany is open only for dinner, and the Delizioso Lasagna festival will end on 12th March. All the dishes are priced between Rs. 825 and Rs. 975 (taxes extra).
