lasagna & baked ziti for dummies?

[Eden]

but it's awfully hard to find whole squid mantles these days. They all seem to be cut into rings.

Uwajimaya! - up in your neck of the woods there's also Ranch 99. Whole squid are popular in Asian cuisine. You can probably get them fresh or frozen. The sushi bar we go to does a killer squid dish where the mantle is stuffed with the tentacles and stewed until it is soooooo tender - yummy.