Your Lasagna is in My Cupcake! Your Cupcake is in My Lasagna!

I realize I am late to the table (Ahem.) with this one, but I was afraid you were too, so I wanted to share this fantastic, easy and delicious idea with you: lasagna cupcakes! No, no, no...it's not what you're thinking. I would never suggest you bake cupcakes that are flavored like lasagna. These are individual lasagnas baked in a cupcake pan and they are delectable and super simple.

The secret? Won ton wrappers. You can either buy the round ones (some places stock them) or do as I did and buy the square ones, then cut them with a biscuit cutter. What are won ton wrappers? Basically fresh pasta, right? So what you get are little lasagnas layered with thin sheets of pasta and your favorite filling. If you have a pasta roller, you could do the same with it and just cut the pasta into round to fill the tins. In fact, this is perfect for satisfying a variety of taste, because in theory you could make each lasagna a different flavor.

Recipe? I would love to give you one, but in this case, lasgana cupcakes are not an exact science. You need ricotta, sauce, mozzarella and maybe some Parmesan to make them, plus whatever else you would like to add. Thin slices of zucchini? Broccoli? Tomatoes? Whatever. If you are using a firmer vegetable, you may want to cook it a little before using it as filling.

Spray your pan with cooking spray or a light layer of oil, then layer won ton wrapper, ricotta, sauce+any other filling and then cheese. Repeat and for the final layer use a won ton wrapper, sauce to the edge and them a layer or cheese.

In the end, pop these into the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and you are good. Let them rest for five minutes and you're ready to serve. I've made several variations, including a traditional tomato as well as a butternut squash. They are great leftover and are a perfect meal with a salad or any simple vegetable.

Ingredients: Barilla No Cook Lasagna Noodles

I think one of the first things I learned to make from my mother was lasagna. It was a great skill to find and very empowering: with lasagna you can feed a crowd and if you keep the flavors basic, it's usually something everyone enjoys. Some bread and salad, a little something for dessert: instant dinner party. It couldn't be easier, could it? In fact, I remember my first 'dinner party' in my apartment in Norman, OK when I was at OU and I'm sure I served lasagna. I know it's not the same lasagna I make today, and imagine it was probably filled with a meaty sauce, but the principles remain the same.

But, I eventually figured out it could be easier. One way in which I have varied my recipe from the method Barbara taught me is the no-cook method I've been using for years. It's pretty simple, you use conventional noodles, but don't boil them, adding extra liquid to the sauce. They cook as the lasagna bakes and its comes out perfectly. I can put together a lasagna in less that thirty minutes and have it out of the oven in an hour, resting and ready to go while salad is being passed.

So you are probably wondering why I would mess with success? Why alter a recipe/process that's served me for almost twenty years? I read somewhere that the oven ready noodles Barilla produces have a superior flavor and texture than conventional noodles, but were just as easy to use. The difference? Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne Noodles are made with egg, so the pasta is lighter, more delicate and great for baking.

I tried it. I even did four layers of lasagna instead of three. And what I read was correct, the Barilla noodles are light and taste almost like fresh pasta sheets rolled out at home. It's easy to do, but according to Barilla you need about eight cups of sauce to accomplish the four-layer version. So, if you're trying to think of something to serve for dinner for your family or friends, throw together a simple lasagna using Barilla noodles that will please everyone.

My other lasagna tip: toasted, slivered almonds in each layer. A surprising ingredient, they add texture and their wonderful nutty flavor to the classic Italian melange. I'll provide my full recipe for lasagna using the Barilla noodles later, but I'm sure you have one you enjoy that could be adapted easily using this product. From my kitchen to yours...