Creamy White Chicken Lasagna (Printable Version)
Creamy chicken and spinach layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and a rich white sauce between tender pasta sheets.
# What You 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 nonstick 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 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 - Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a golden roux. Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the 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 well combined.
06 - Spread a thin layer of the white sauce across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer 3 noodles over the sauce, then spread half of the chicken-spinach filling evenly on top. Add one-third of the mozzarella and one-third of the remaining white sauce. Repeat with another layer of 3 noodles, the remaining chicken-spinach filling, another third of the mozzarella, and another third of the sauce. Finish with the last 3 noodles, the remaining sauce, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
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 the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The white sauce is infused with nutmeg and herbs in a way that makes every forkful taste like it came from a tiny trattoria hidden down a cobblestone side street.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, which means lunch at your desk suddenly feels like a small act of self care instead of something sad from a container.
02 -
- Letting the lasagna rest is not optional, cut into it too early and the sauce will flood across the plate like a river escaping its banks.
- Whisking the roux for the full 2 minutes before adding liquid eliminates the raw flour taste that ruins so many white sauces.
03 -
- Blend the ricotta in a food processor before adding it to the sauce and the entire texture transforms from slightly grainy to perfectly smooth.
- Shred your own mozzarella from a block and melt it on top rather than using prebagged shreds that contain cellulose and stretch instead of melt.