Simple Butternut Squash Lasagna

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With Thanksgiving fast approaching — and my menu nebulous  — I'm thinking about little else. This leaves me scrambling most evenings to throw something healthy, tasty, and quick together for dinner — hopefully without a trip to the store. 
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On these cold, dark November evenings — the wind sweeping the bamboo outside the kitchen window — any meal that requires a hot oven is very appealing. This simple weeknight lasagna recipe hit just the right spot last night — and it baked just long enough to warm the whole house, from the kitchen out. 

Basic Tomato Sauce

A big, simmering pot of tomato sauce on the stove — exuding a luscious, bright aroma — is where it all started for me. This recipe is adapted loosely — and vegetarianized — from my mother's tomato sauce; a sauce which made me fall in love with cooking and all its potential. I have fond memories of sitting on the counter, dipping saltine crackers straight into the pot — the absolute best after school snack imaginable.  

This tomato sauce is delicious, simple to prepare, and can easily be tweaked to accommodate seasonal offerings. Try doubling or even tripling the recipe to have on hand for pastas, pizzas, or as a base for soups  — I even use it as a base for enchilada sauce.