and I love your ideas for substitutions. DH doesn't like pasta.
I can make spaghetti or lasagne once in a great while and he will really enjoy it, but he won't even try anything else. Although, he did try the dishes Josh and I did for our Italian menu at Christmas and he did it very reluctantly and it was also the next day...but Josh was here and he showed us he was trying the dishes (LOL!) and he declared them very good.