Share a Square

Between the pandemic and the contention in the world, I hope you have a lasagna friend.

A “lasagna friend” is someone you make a deal with, and there is only one rule. Whenever either of you bake a lasagna, you promise to cut a piece from the leftovers and deliver it the next day. It’s a stress-free covenant considering it only applies to when you actually feel like making lasagna. And, when you least expect it, you get an exciting and free mom lunch that spices up your life and keeps you from cracking. Added bonus: lasagna, like curry, is one of those dishes that tastes better tomorrow.

Now, I realize lasagna is right up there with apple pie as far as happy childhood memories and polarizing ingredient debates are concerned. Sausage versus ground beef. Ricotta versus cottage cheese. Olives or no olives.

Matt & Mary’s Italian masterpiece showcases homemade pasta sheets tucked between alternating layers of bechamel and red. A butternut squash and hazelnut showstopper was served at my sister’s wedding dinner. My own vegetarian version hides a roasted eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash in the sauce for no picky kid to decipher. Every lasagna has worth. Every lasagna matters. Except frozen, of course.

Because I have a lasagna friend—and we shared for years—I have learned the best-tasting lasagna is the one I didn’t cook. Effortless, mess-free-kitchen lasagna is simply delectable, and having a friend drop off a plate of any version covered in plastic wrap is straight up happiness. Leftover garlic bread on the side is next level.

Seeing as the world is populated and we all love carbs, do think twice about seeking out your very own lasagna friend. Lasagna-sharing is definitely caring. Trite as tray dinners may be, their resulting lasagna friendship is one of the reasons I smile when I look back at my 30s. 

I haven’t made the effort to strike up a lasagna contract with anyone in Suncrest despite living here for four years. However, I recently called my old lasagna friend on a whim at 10 pm on a school night and our conversation was akin to gobbling up a reheated square of cheesy love.

Photo of rabbit and cat from a wrinkled gift bag someone gave us years ago that I threw away in the move. Sorry to not give credit to the artist or studio. I added the lasagna, in case you thought "lasagna friendship art" was an already-tapped genre.

Typing "lasagna" this many times reminded me of all the Garfield books I had as a kid. Don't be like Garfield—he never shared his lasagna!