Chef Boyardee - Upped a Notch

So I'm lazy tonight...well, actually all the time, and my wife has an online course tonight from 6:00 until 9:00. She just cooks up a Marie Calendar's frozen dish while she's preparing for her class, so I have the opportunity to plan my own dinner. It's usually not too big a deal, being a Monday night I've worked the whole day after two days off and really don't want to put any effort into feeding myself.

So tonight I figured I'd just have a can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli and a salad. Then I had an idea. I like a really saucy pasta, kind of like pasta soup. So I got into my creative-but-lazy mode and started looking around the kitchen:

I found a 12 Oz can of wonderful Muir Glen tomato sauce and poured it into a pan on the stove. To it, I added the following without using any measuring device:

  • About a tablespoon of dried basil
  • A tablespoon of dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • About 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • A splash of balsamic vinegar
  • About a quarter teaspoon of sugar
  • A pinch of cayenne pepper

I heated it up very slowly to let the flavors mingle for about half an hour. Then I added the entire can of ravioli, set it over low heat, and let it simmer covered for another 15 or 20 minutes. Next, I added a handful of Romano cheese and covered the pot. After another 10 minutes or so I looked in. OMG, what a sight. The melted cheese had remained on top, and the smell that wafted out was AMAZING.