White Chicken Lasagna (Print Version)
Creamy chicken and spinach layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan between tender pasta sheets.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen, thawed and drained)
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
05 - 2 cups ricotta cheese
06 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 2 1/2 cups whole milk
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Pasta
11 - 9 lasagna noodles (regular or no-boil)
→ Staples & Seasonings
12 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
15 - Salt and pepper to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
02 - Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and lay flat on a clean surface to prevent sticking. Skip this step if using no-boil noodles.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the finely chopped onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir the spinach into the skillet and cook until wilted. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and combine with the shredded chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and half of the dried Italian herbs. Set aside.
05 - In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a smooth roux. Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the ground nutmeg, remaining Italian herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and fold in the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmesan until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spread a thin layer of the white sauce across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles, half of the chicken-spinach filling, one-third of the mozzarella, and one-third of the remaining sauce. Repeat the layering process once more. Finish with a final layer of noodles topped with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
07 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The white sauce is impossibly silky and makes you wonder why you ever bothered with tomato based versions.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day, if you can manage to save any.
02 -
- Underseasoned white sauce is the most common mistake, so taste it before you assemble and add more salt than you think you need.
- Letting the lasagna rest is not optional, those ten minutes let the sauce set so you get clean slices instead of a soupy mess.
03 -
- The roux is everything, cook the flour and butter together until it smells like toasted popcorn before you add any liquid.
- A tiny pinch of nutmeg in white sauce is an old Italian trick that makes people think you studied cooking abroad.