Well, this month's quick weekday fix is a vegetable lasagna that takes 45 minutes to put together. That's right: 45 minutes. The key to this recipe is the use of no-boil lasagna noodles. There are a few brands available on most grocery store shelves and, if I have my way, they'll continue to be available. No more boiling, draining, and tearing lasagna noodles. Measuring them out is a snap: use 3 noodles for each layer of a 9" x 13" baking dish. And, when you pull out your finished product from the oven, you'll be hooked. Great lasagna with half of the work!

The recipe I've included this month is a vegetable-based lasagna. The traditional meat and tomato sauce version also works great with no-boil noodles. If you really want to use traditional lasagna noodles, leave it for the weekend. No-boil noodles are a real savior when Wednesday rolls around!

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Vegetable Lasagna 1/2 c. pesto 1/3 c. heavy cream 1/2 c. green beans, cut into 1" pieces 1 c. zucchini, peeled and cubed 1/2 c. green peppers, chopped 4 rip tomatoes, cut 1/4" thick 9 no-boil lasagna noodles 6 T. nonfat ricotta cheese Italian seasoning to taste 1 c. shredded cheese In a large bowl, mix pesto and cream until blended. Add beans, zucchini, and peppers. Toss to coat. In a 9" x 13" baking pan, create layers as follows: tomatoes 3 lasagna noodles pesto-veggie mixture ricotta cheese 3 lasagna noodles tomatoes pesto-veggie mixture 3 lasagna noodles shredded cheese Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce first layer. Serve hot with warm Italian bread and a garden salad. Yields: 1 - 9" X 13" pan Preparation Time: 45 minutes