Pesto Chicken Lasagna

Name: Pesto Chicken Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 12 servings.
Ingredients: 1 large sweet red pepper, diced; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 tablespoon butter; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; 1/4 cup chicken broth; 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 cups cubed cooked chicken; 1/2 cup prepared pesto; 1 can (3.8 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese; 1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese; 2 cups marinara sauce; 12 no-cook lasagna noodles; 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, chopped; 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Pesto really perks up this scrumptious chicken lasagna. Plus, the marinara sauce adds a touch of sweetness. Serve it with warm bread and impress your friends.

Ingredients

1 large sweet red pepper, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1 can (3.8 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 cups marinara sauce
12 no-cook lasagna noodles
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan, saute red pepper and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in the milk, broth, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, pesto and olives. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese and feta cheese.
Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with four noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the spinach, half of the pesto mixture and 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining the noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes more or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 382 calories, 19g fat (9g saturated fat), 79mg cholesterol, 534mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 25g protein.

Originally published as Creamy Pesto Chicken Lasagna in Country Woman January/February 2007

Reviews

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Average Rating:

smwsmm

Mar 5, 2016

This recipe is the best that I have come across in a long time. The only thing that I substituted was cottage cheese for ricotta. I use the no cook lasagna noodles. This is a favorite in family and friends.
justmbeth

May 18, 2014

Loved this. Left out the feta and olives for family preferences. Used the no-cook noodles and didn't have any issues with them as others have commented about.
mommysmenu

Mar 10, 2014

This was absolutely delicious! We don't like feta so i used Parmesan and Romano instead and it was great. It came together quickly and didn't last long. I agree with another reviewer, cook your noodles before you assemble the dish. I didn't and the noodles were very firm and the bottom of the dish was over cooked by the time the noodles were soft. Even with these few minor issues this is a keeper.
dlbutts

Sep 23, 2013

Easy to prepare and full of flavor.. 5 STARS...
danapeanut

Oct 20, 2011

I made this last night for dinner. My husband and I absolutely loved it!! This recipe is a keeper!
senzascusa

Apr 7, 2011

I have been counting calories/fat/protein/carbs lately to lose weight (working like a charm!) so as I do with all foods now, I entered in this recipe into my cron-o-meter, as well as all the nutritional values for the cheeses and ready-made sauces, etc and was shocked to discover a nice slice of this only comes to 291 calories (my slice weighed 218 grams) and has only 10.9 grams of fat. And I used full fat ricotta, feta and mozzarella!Definitely a nice twist to a traditional meal. Real nice. One reviewer mentioned the red pepper over-powered, but we did not find this. It did however, add an interesting flavour.
Lorri2rs

Mar 6, 2011

This lasagna was fantastic!!! I followed the recipe exactly as was written. The only thing I would change next time is to add a little extra marinara. I DID use the oven-ready noodles and it turned out perfect! Everyone loved it including the kids! Definately a keeper!
ButterLovingGirl

Feb 19, 2011

Had to use pizza sauce instead of marinara but the pan became extinct very quickly. All the kids begged for more. Share some with friends and they loved it too. DELICIOUS!
lissaraye32

Dec 24, 2010

This was delicious!! I was very brave - i have never made lasagna, much less chicken lasagna & i made it last night for 6 dinner guests! Luckily it was delicious! Based on the review above, i decided not to do the No Cook noodles - i used regular ones & cooked them about 2-3 minutes less than what the package said, since they'll cook more in the oven. They turned out fine. The only other difference is that i used about 3 cups of the chicken & mozzerella. :) YUM!!
Marketing

Jul 30, 2010

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