Move over turkey, there’s a new Thanksgiving entree in town

For millions of Americans, Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without a turkey. It’s by far the most popular main dish on holiday tables, but for a growing number of people turkey has been supplanted by another dish: lasagna. As Khushbu Shah writes in The New York Times, this may seem surprising on the surface, but there are logical reasons for this dish to be at the center of the table. (gift link)

Immigrants from Italy started this trend beginning in the late 1800s. According to food historian Amy Riolo, Italian immigrants “would celebrate Thanksgiving to show that they were assimilating as Americans, but would serve American dishes alongside beloved Italian dishes like lasagna ‘to honor their Italian roots.’” These days the Asian immigrant community is embracing lasagna for Thanksgiving. For many Asian immigrants, lasagna was seen as an “exemplar of American food,” so they would serve it at this most American holiday alongside dishes from their respective countries.

For many immigrants, turkey was not a familiar food because turkeys are native to North America, but there are many parallels between Italian lasagna and Asian foodways as they share many ingredients such as chiles, tomatoes, garlic, basil. There is another similarity, says Justin Pichetrungsi: “an entirely matriarchal vibe when it comes to culinary techniques.” Lasagna is also a great dish to serve at a large gathering because it feeds a crowd and is easy to serve. It’s also extremely adaptable – for instance, Pichetrungsi uses Thai basil, shrimp paste and soy sauce to add traditional Thai flavors to the dish.