Don Angie’s pinwheel lasagna has been a viral sensation since the restaurant opened in 2017. Their beautiful and delicious dish has deservedly attracted buzz, but spiral baked lasagna actually has a long history before their restaurant opened.

Ada Boni’s Il talismano della felicità collected Italian recipes from across the country when it was published in 1928. However, the English translation The Talisman Italian Cookbook often changed the content.

Pizza took off across America during the 1950s. There were numerous contributing factors to the rise in the sudden popularity, but one that profoundly shaped every day cooking was the desire for more convenient foods.

An early version of eggplant parmigiana from the 19th century, published in dialect, Molignane alla parmisciana is perhaps the first evidence of the origin of the modern dish.

Fettuccine Alfredo is a rich, creamy tasting pasta dish. The simple recipe of butter and cheese is a richer, more indulgent version of a basic pasta dish.

Pellegrino Artusi’s La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene includes a version of chicken diavolo that might be related to the more famous American dish, Lobster fra diavolo.

Italian-style meatballs served with tomato sauce were one of the few “ethnic” dishes included in the War Department cooking technical manuals in World War II.

The Salsa del Papa, known as the Pope’s sauce but unrelated to the Vatican, is a loose marinara similar to Puttanesca sauce published by Pellegrino Artusi, the famous literary critic.

An early version of Puttanesca Sauce, this salty marinara style sauce was introduced by Antonia Isola’s Simple Italian Cookery, one of the first Italian cooking books printed in English.

George Rector, a food writer and former restaurant owner helped popularize fettuccine Alfredo. He remained relatively true to the original recipe.