Hi folks — the heat finally broke and since my sweetheart has been longing for a Lasagne! for a while, and since yesterday I had a big pot of brand spanking new tomato sauce on the stove, I took a flyer at it.

This lovely lasagne was brought to you not by any of the many authentic Italian cookbooks I have on my shelf, not by Mario or Marcella or even Patricia Wells (Trattoria), or even by my beloved Dom DeLuise (Eat This .. It’ll Make You Feel Better). No, this gorgeous, gooey, wavy lasagne that is all brown on top — this lasagne was brought to you by the recipe on the back of the Barilla Lasagne noodle box.

Yes folks, here is another recipe like the Toll House Cookie recipe. One you’ll never have to remember because there it is, right on the back of the box. I did fiddle with it a little bit — I added some finely chopped parsley, oregano and basil from the garden to the egg-ricotta-cheese filling mixture. But that was it. I just followed the recipe.

The other thing you need to know about this fabulous recipe, is that it’s specifically designed for noodles you don’t cook beforehand. I was skeptical, I must admit. I thought it would be weird, or leathery, or just bad. But this is a great recipe. Easy. Delicious. Infinitely variable.

And it makes a lasagne so yummy that your sweetheart will come up and kiss you, and thank you for making lasagne, and eat another hefty portion for breakfast the next day, and leave for a day of work a happy man. Good all around. Lasagne!