Pesto Chicken Lasagna

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Pesto Chicken Lasagna is a unique take on a loved Italian dish. The addition of chicken gives the dish additional protein and flavor that the whole family can enjoy! Even our 1 and 3 year old were asking for seconds.

What kind of chicken should I use?

I used cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts that I diced. You can use cooked chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs. You could even use ground chicken. The meat can be diced or shredded to suit your taste.

Can you freeze Pesto Chicken Lasagna?

Yes! If you are going to freeze this, I recommend assembling it in a disposable 9×13 pan. After it’s assembled, cover it with tinfoil, wrap it thouroughly with plastic wrap, and then one moer layer of tin foil over top. Pull it out of the freezer the night before you want to cook it and when it’s defrosted, cook as directed below.

Write on the top layer of tinfoil the name of the dish, the cooking instructions, and a reminder to remove the plastic wrap!

How do you reheat leftover Pesto Chicken Lasagna?

Leftover pesto chicken lasagna can be reheated in the microwave by the slice but it’s preferable to reheat it in the oven. To do so, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then cook the lasagna covered for 30 minutes.

Can this be a Vegetarian Lasagna?

Absolutely! You do not need to add the meat if it doesn’t suit your taste or dietary needs.

How do you assemble Pesto Chicken Lasagna?

The layers of this lasagna go as follows:

• Sauce
• Noodles
• Ricotta cheese mixture
• Chicken
• Mozzarella cheese
• Sauce
• Noodles
• Ricotta cheese mixture
• Chicken
• Mozzarella cheese
• Sauce
• Noodles
• Sauce
• Mozzarella cheese

How to Make Pesto Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 package of lasagna noodles, cooked according to instructions

3 cups of diced cooked chicken

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg

⅔ cup of pesto

2 cups of milk

¼ cup of flour

2 tbsp of butter

½ tsp of salt

1 tsp black pepper

3 cups of mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. If your chicken isn’t cooked yet, now is the time to do so!

Next, in a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and then add ¼ cup of flour. Stir until thoroughly combined and a paste has formed. This is called a roux and will help to thicken the sauce. Don’t let this cook unattended because it can burn easily. Add 2 cups of milk and ⅔ cup of pesto, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer for about a minute and then turn off the heat. Let it sit until cooled or at least only warm to the touch and not hot.

In a separate bowl, combine 15 oz of ricotta cheese and 1 egg with ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Lasagna assembly:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spoon about a quarter cup of the pesto sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. The remaining pesto sauce will be divided into thirds. Lay the lasagna noodles in the pan, breaking noodle pieces to cover the bottom of the pan if necessary.

Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spread half of the cooked chicken over the ricotta cheese mixture and then 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over that. Next pour ⅓ of the remaining pesto sauce over the pan.

Layer more lasagna noodles and then repeat the previous step.

Next, lay the final layer of lasagna noodles. Then pour the last third of the pesto sauce and cover with the last cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover the pan with tin foil and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the tin foil off and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and lightly browned on the top.

Let the lasagna rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into and serving. If you need ideas for side dishes, check out our sourdough bread recipe!  Let us know in the comments below if you’ve ever had Pesto Chicken Lasagna and if it’s something you’re interested in trying!

Pesto Chicken Lasagna

A delicious alternative to red sauce lasagna

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 package of lasagna noodles cooked according to instructions
• 3 cups of diced cooked chicken
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup of pesto
• 2 cups of milk
• ¼ cup of flour
• 2 tbsp of butter
• ½ tsp of salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups of mozzarella cheese

Instructions

 

• In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and then add ¼ cup of flour. Stir until thoroughly combined and a paste has formed.
• Add 2 cups of milk and ⅔ cup of pesto, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer for about a minute and then turn off the heat. Let it sit until cooled
• In a seperate bowl, combine 15 oz of ricotta cheese and 1 egg with ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Lasagna Assembly

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Spoon about a quarter cup of the pesto sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. The remaining pesto sauce will be divided into thirds. Lay the lasagna noodles in the pan, breaking noodle pieces to cover the bottom of the pan if necessary.
• Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spread half of the cooked chicken over the ricotta cheese mixture and then 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over that. Next pour ⅓ of the remaining pesto sauce over the pan.
• Layer more lasagna noodles and then repeat the previous step.
• Next, lay the final layer of lasagna noodles. Then pour the last third of the pesto sauce and cover with the last cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover the pan with tin foil and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, take the tin foil off and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and lightly browned on the top.
• Let the lasagna rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into and serving.

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