Served "like a slice of cake" with ricotta inside and a whopping 68 layers, Guy Fieri's lasagna deviates from the original recipe. "Sometimes this dish is not appealing but in my version, it is."
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"Sometimes lasagna is not appealing. Mine is," declares Guy Fieri, renowned chef and face of the Food Network, who describes Italian oven-baked pasta as "not sexy" in a literal translation, while praising his unique take on one of the world's most beloved dishes. To try it, you must visit the new Trattoria by Fieri, the latest of 18 concepts and nearly 100 restaurants bearing the famous chef's name.
All these venues typically serve barbecue meat, sandwiches, tacos, chicken, burgers, and other American dishes, especially in casinos, airports, and on cruise ships. However, the trattoria in Columbus, located at Eldorado Scioto Downs, is Fieri's first establishment to specialize in an Italian American menu that goes beyond pizza, as reported by the site eu.dispatch.
Here, the renowned chef promises to delight palates with a combination of iconic dishes—not only classic but also reimagined—from Italian cuisine. Set in a cozy and characteristic environment adorned with family photos and Fieri's TV shows creating a warm, familiar atmosphere, the culinary star aimed to honor his distant roots (his paternal grandfather was of Italian descent) by integrating some creatively seasoned creations into the menu.
Among all his dishes, his layered lasagna stands out: it has 68 layers of pasta, to be precise, plus béchamel, ragù, ricotta, and mozzarella—thus, not a “canonical” version, but enhanced by the presence of dairy. Before being plated on its side "like a slice of cake" (as described by the restaurant), the portion is grilled to further crisp the edges, ensuring that no one has to eat a lasagna that’s too “soft” and not crunchy enough. As a garnish, an additional sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano, and underneath, a "base" of tomato sauce generously enriched with oil.
"What do you think? For Fieri, as mentioned earlier, lasagna is more 'enticing' this way." Among the offerings, we also find spaghetti all'assassina, chicken parmigiana, bolognese, and fried calamari, reinterpreted with the addition of hot peppers, while the tomato sauce for the dressings, hearty and straightforward, is always flavored primarily with fresh basil and not overwhelmed by garlic or other herbs and spices—the chef is keen to point out. There's also a lot of homemade pasta. As Fieri said at the ribbon cutting: "If you can't find something you like on this menu, you're not hungry."
