Spanish Chicken Lasagna w. Cornmeal Pasta

Putting all Greek aside, I was a Spanish major in college. You’d never know it if you heard me speak. I’m not terrible but sadly, when you don’t use a language, you tend to lose it. However, the beauty of memory is that it all comes back within a few minutes of conversing with someone who is a native speaker. One of my favorite college classes was a conversational class – it was a lighthearted social class taught by a laid-back professor who literally had us all over to his house one evening for a night of empanadas, arepas and fun. We had a great time and that memory always comes back to me whenever I make Spanish food.

I only just recently discovered P.A.N., a Venezuelan company that specializes in cornmeal. While the word pan means bread in Spanish (totally fitting, no?), the acronym stands for a completely business-related topic (national food products). P.A.N. Cornmeal has been around for years and in fact, is the most popular cornmeal in South America, but only recently has it made its way into the US. Cornmeal is not only a staple in various countries across the world due to its cost effectiveness but it’s also a staple in any food explorer’s closet. I’ve mentioned before how much I love experimenting with different flavors and cultures of the world and so for today’s recipe, I chose a twist on an Italian classic, lasagna. To be frank, lasagna is not my favorite Italian dish but I do love the layered look and flavorful ingredients. While brainstorming for a recipe, I imagined a Spanish-style lasagna made with homemade cornmeal pasta and delicious Spanish flavors. But I had no idea how it was going to turn out.