By Marco Shalma

Before Fried Lasagna Mama became a fixture at some of the biggest markets in NYC, it began with a clear intention. When she was accepted into Johnson & Wales University for Culinary Arts, she already knew the plan: build her own food business, no shortcuts, no gimmicks. After graduating, she moved through the grind every independent chef faces—testing, failing, adjusting, and staying committed to creating something no one else in the city was offering.

That breakthrough arrived in 2017. She stumbled across a YouTube video of two women reviewing Olive Garden’s fried lasagna appetizer. She had never seen lasagna fried before, but curiosity pushed her straight into experimentation. She refined the idea, added her own spin, created new flavors, and shared them with everyone around her. The response made one thing clear: she had a hit.