Apparently I’m on a creamy pasta kick right now, as evidenced by this and the most recent recipe post behind this one. But really, is there actually anything wrong with that? I’d argue no, and so I present to you this recipe for Pesto Chicken Lasagna.
There are so many layers of creamy goodness in this reinvention of a classic Italian dish – I just love it! I mean, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a traditional red sauce lasagna. But there’s also nothing wrong with mixing things up a little, amen? Got to keep things interesting, man.
I will say this dish does take a little time to prepare, so plan to try this out on a weekend or holiday when you have a little more time to invest. Don’t try this for the first time on a week night when your clan is clamoring for a quick meal! But I also promise that if you do decide to spend this time it takes you’ll be pleased with the delicious results. And don’t forget the salad and garlic bread to go with it! It’s a hard and fast rule at my house that pasta may not be served without garlic bread. Ever.
And a note about the chicken: it doesn’t matter how you cook it. You can bake it, grill it, or pull it off a rotisserie chicken. Whatever is the most convenient way for you to collect about 3 cups of shredded chicken. I’m all about saving energy. Want to know a secret? You can even skip the chicken entirely if you don’t feel like messing with it, or if you are one of my vegetarian friends. It will still be delicious!
- 6 lasagna noodles
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp pesto
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1 egg
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (about two breasts)
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella
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Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare noodles according to package instructions. While noodles cook, melt butter in a pan and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cream, parmesan, and salt, and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, mix the ricotta and sour cream until smooth in a small bowl and set aside. When the white sauce has thickened, stir in pesto.
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Spread about 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Drain noodles and layer three over the sauce. Spread half of the ricotta/sour cream mixture over the noodles and sprinkle half of the shredded chicken over that. Pour half of the remaining pesto white sauce over the chicken and top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layer starting with the remaining three noodles and ending with the remaining mozzarella on top.
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Bake for about 45 minutes, until bubbling throughout and slightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
OH MY YUMMY! Everything I love all together in one meal – I think it might be heaven? So excited to give this one a try!
Great! Hope you love it!
Yum! I love this version of lasagna! Thanks for sharing at Friday Frenzy! PINNED!
Thanks!
Lasagna is my favourite, but I’ve never made it with chicken. This definitely looks like a winning combination, yum!
Thanks! It’s pretty delicious 😉
I agree that there’s nothing wrong with switching up the crowd favorite, traditional lasagna (which I LOVE). This recipe seems easy enough for me to follow, and I think my stomach is calling for it. I’ll have to try this recipe.
Hope you like it! I think it’s fun to mix things up sometimes.
I’m Italian and my dad used to make homemade lasagna all the time growing up 😊 I love your twist on it – def trying it for my fam!
I feel like I might have some hidden Italian heritage because we love anything pasta related lol.
I love chicken lasagna! I’m going to have to try your recipe!
Hope you love it!
I’ll have to get brave and try this!
Brave? Do you not like pesto?