While I love a hearty lasagna, I am far from thrilled at the thought of boiling noodles, having to assemble the dish, and then waiting for it to bake. When I think of a recipe, I like to strip it down to the essentials. What does it really need to taste good? Everything else is optional and depends on how much energy I have.

What I love about this recipe is that it has the familiar flavors of the classic, but without the fuss. I cooked my veggies, noodles, sauce and cheese all in one pot. No baking. No mess. This is the perfect weeknight dinner. Serve with a fresh garden salad and toasted garlic bread.