It was a rainy Tuesday in March—the kind of day when Stockholm feels like it’s been dipped in grey watercolor. The kind of day that demands comfort food. I was walking home from a long shift, shoes soaked, stomach growling, when I passed yet another pizza joint with fogged-up windows and fluorescent lights. It made me smile, and then sigh. Pizza again?
That’s when it hit me. What I really wanted was lasagna. But not just any lasagna. The one that lives in your memory—the one your nonna made, or your mamma, or maybe the one you had once on a trip to Bologna and never forgot. Bubbling and golden, layers falling into each other, rich with roasted vegetables, tomato sauce made from real tomatoes, and béchamel that hugs everything like a soft blanket. The kind of homemade food that takes hours to prepare and only minutes to devour.
I went home and cooked it from scratch, humming Italian songs and melting into the smell of browned butter and grated parmigiano. And as I pulled the tray out of the oven, I thought—why does no one do this here? Stockholm has incredible food, creative food, food that’s thoughtful and beautiful—but no lasagna takeaway. Not really. Not the kind that respects the dish and the time it needs. Not the kind you can pick up on your way home that still tastes like someone made it for you, not at you.
That was the beginning of Lasagnariet.
The more I talked about it, the more people’s eyes lit up. "A lasagna takeaway? Finally!" Someone said it just like that, and I knew we were onto something. Lasagna belongs in Stockholm—not just on special occasions or deep in a freezer box, but fresh, daily, and made properly. It’s comfort food for long winters and long work weeks. It’s perfect for sharing and even better when eaten alone with a fork and no regrets. And let’s be honest—who doesn’t like lasagna?
As we began crafting our recipes, we leaned into both Italian tradition and Swedish curiosity. I’m a Sicilian chef with roots in the kind of home cooking where recipes are whispered more than written down. But since I moved to Sweden, I’ve learned that there’s a shared language between our kitchens. You have your gratäng, your crispbreads, your sweet pickled things and warm rye. I have my parmigiana, soffritto, and the smell of Sunday sauce bubbling all day.
What brings us together, though, is the belief that homemade food matters. Not food from a packet. Not food dressed up to impress. Just food made with care, with real ingredients, and the kind of patience that tastes better in every bite.
Our vegetarian food offering isn’t just a polite nod to plant-based eaters—it’s one of our proudest creations. Sweden has this deep relationship with vegetables and seasons. You notice when things grow, when they bloom, when they vanish. That’s what we want to celebrate in our vegetarian lasagna. Picture roasted peppers and zucchini, sweet onions, baby spinach and ricotta, or wild mushrooms layered between silky sheets of pasta and a hint of sage. And when spring arrives, we’re already dreaming of nettles, locally sourced asparagus, or a swirl of lemon zest to lift the béchamel. These aren’t just meatless dishes. They’re full, rich, generous. That’s the whole point of comfort food, isn’t it?
We’ll have vegan food and gluten free options too. Because everyone deserves to eat well—and lasagna belongs to everyone.
I still remember the first time I tried Swedish butter. I was used to olive oil—golden, fruity, stubbornly Mediterranean. But the butter? It was like velvet. I started using it in béchamel, in roasting trays, in our slow-cooked vegetable sauces. It’s one of the many ways our lasagna reflects this place. We use both Swedish ingredients and Italian ingredients—sometimes in the same bite. We source what we can from local producers. We try to keep our footprint thoughtful, but never preachy. Taste is our compass, always.
Can you imagine the rich aroma of freshly baked and warm, homemade lasagna filled with parmigiano Reggiano and a lot of wild mushrooms? It’s what fills our kitchen now, every test batch a little better than the last.
Lasagnariet is almost ready. The trays are lined up. The ovens are humming. The sauce is resting, thickening, whispering its secrets like all good sauces do. We’re opening soon in Södermalm, with a counter full of lasagna waiting for you to take home, heat up, and let melt into your day. Or maybe you eat it cold, right out of the container, standing in your kitchen. We don’t judge. We just cook.
Opening Soon: A Lasagna Takeaway Like No Other
We’re here to bring something new to Stockholm—something familiar, but made better. A takeaway concept that puts the food first, that makes you feel taken care of. Where the comfort food is real, the home cooking is slow, and the ingredients are as locally sourced as they are lovingly chosen.
We don’t want to change the way Sweden eats. We just want to add something worth keeping. A little more warmth, a little more time in the oven, a little more soul.
What kind of lasagna would you like to try? Maybe one with roasted pumpkin and sage? Or a take on Swedish chanterelle toast, but layered with pasta? Maybe something nostalgic. Maybe something wild. Let us know. We’re listening.
See you soon,
Lasagnariet
