Look no further - this is the lasagna you want to make! I followed the recipe exactly except for the fact that I omitted sausage (I don't eat pork). I increased the ground beef to 2 lbs and added some red pepper to my sauce blend. The other reviews are true in that this recipe yields a LOT of sauce. I don't get why. Wasn't a problem though - I froze my sauce and used it for another (smaller) sized lasagna a week later, and also served it over some tortellini a couple weeks after that. ADDITIONS: I added spinach and it was just what this lasagna needed (highly recommended!). I chose to put it on top of my ricotta spread layers. Also - do NOT worry about following the layers exactly as the recipe says. Be creative. All of the layers can be mixed up in any order you choose. It's a layered lasagna after all! NOODLES: To echo other reviewers - just place your noodles in HOT water for about 30 minutes - do not waste your time boiling them as the recipe suggests. NOTE: Each time I've made this, I've made the sauce 2 days in advance (let it simmer for about 2 hrs), and assembled the actual lasagna 1 day in advance. Not sure how it would taste otherwise - but apparently it lets all the flavors marinate better.

Reviewed On: Apr. 15, 2010

Turned out great! The only thing I did differently was throw in the tomatoes at the time I sauteed the mushrooms (instead of at the very end). The idea of fresh tomato on top of my pasta (like in a salad) didn't sound too appealing. Sauteeing them with the mushrooms ended up making my fettuccini a little 'strogonaff' tasting and was excellent. I also used cayenne pepper instead of black, and a little more than the recipe called for, for a little kick! Will definitely make again.

Reviewed On: Apr. 30, 2009

I, too, added more coconut extract than called for and am glad I did. Additionally, I used coconut milk instead of cream of coconut since I couldn't find the latter in my grocery store - cake turned out just fine! A suggestion for final presentation: adding pineapple chunks around the cake (and a few on top) ended up being a really well-received idea. The pineapple mixed REALLY well with the coconut flavor. I also suggest baking this in two round pans and then layering (just make sure you make twice as much whip cream so that you have enough for putting in between layers).

Reviewed On: Mar. 19, 2009