Lasagna

It's becoming that time of year when my mind begins wandering to hearty, comfort foods. Last night I made chili (no photos, alas), and at the end of last week I made a huge lasagna. Lasagna is one of those things that changes every single time I make it. Not only based on what I have available to put IN the lasagna, but also on my mood and tastes of the moment. So while I only have this photo of the finished product, I'll give you a walk-through of the layers from the bottom up.

1. Bottom of the pan - 1/4 C olive oil and half of a small can of tomato sauce to keep everything from sticking.
2. Noodles - for some reason I bought the smaller noodles (length) so had to be creative with arrangement. It still worked out just fine.
3. Meat - I cooked a pound of beef and added some garlic (sliced) and a can of whole, peeled tomatoes (with the juice) that I broke up using my hands. Added some salt, pepper, and some fresh thyme and 1 C tomato sauce and let the mixture cook and reduce by 1/3.
4. Noodles
5. Vegetables - sauteed red & yellow bell pepper, one big yellow onion, sliced garlic, and 2 chopped carrots. Cooked with salt & pepper and some celery seed.
6. Noodles
7. Mixture of sauteed mushrooms with fresh chopped thyme, 12 oz. ricotta cheese, 1 big handful of grated parmesan, 2 eggs, salt & pepper. Mixed together in a bowl and poured over the noodles.
8. Noodles
9. The other half of the small can of tomato sauce spread evenly, then a layer of provolone cheese slices, then a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and topped with a generous dusting of grated parmesan.