This is the perfect white chicken lasagna. It’s creamy, delicious, and packed with flavor. Also available with gluten-free option
I have always been afraid of making lasagna. It’s always been either too dry or too liquidy every time I have tried it. Half of the time, the noodles don’t get cooked. Even if it had been a success for me, I would have expected it to look gross and messy when I attempted to photograph it.
Because lasagna is one the best comfort foods, I decided to overcome my fears. After having eaten hundreds of noodles, I finally found the perfect lasagna.
White lasagna is my favorite type of lasagna. But I’d never turn down a classic red lasagna. It’s especially good if it has cheese, chicken, fresh basil, perfectly burst tomato slices, and is topped with sweet balsamic reduction.
Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 45 Min
Yield: 8-10 Servings
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for Ricotta Layer:
2 lbs ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Ingredients for Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or all-purpose gluten free flour mix like this one)
4 cups milk (I used whole)
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups packed spinach
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Ingredients for Layering:
1 1/2 cups more mozzarella
1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles (you can use these gluten free ones)
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Halved cherry tomatoes (about 20)
More fresh basil for garnish
Balsamic glaze (buy here, or you can make your own by simmering balsamic vinegar until it has reduced thickened)
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all of the ingredients for the ricotta layer and set aside.
For the sauce, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well as you add it. Add the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, stirring the whole time.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the mozzarella, spinach, salt, pepper, and basil. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted. Set aside.
To Assemble:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place a couple ladles of sauce in the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch pan. Top with a layer of noodles followed by 1/3 of the ricotta mixture followed by 1/3 of the chopped chicken followed by 1/3 of the remaining sauce mixture. Continue layering in this pattern, ending with sauce (you should have sauce, noodles, ricotta, chicken, sauce, noodles, ricotta, chicken, sauce, noodles, ricotta, chicken, sauce). Top with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and then scatter on the halved cherry tomatoes.
Bake for about 45 minutes (I like to put the 9×13 pan on a cookie sheet in the oven, just in case it overflows at all). If the top browns before the 45 minutes are up, just cover it with a sheet of tin foil for the rest of the time.
Allow to cool about 10-20 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and balsamic glaze.