Pasta

Pesto Chicken Lasagna with Béchamel - Creamy

Name: Pesto Chicken Lasagna with Béchamel - Creamy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 cups fresh basil; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated); 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 2-3 cloves garlic; salt and black pepper (to taste); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour); 3 cups whole milk; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated); 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; salt and black pepper (to taste); 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or chopped); 1 pack lasagna noodles (traditional or oven-ready); 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

8 servings

servings

20 minutes

active time

2 hours

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

3 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic

salt and black pepper (to taste)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

3 cups whole milk

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and black pepper (to taste)

3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or chopped)

1 pack lasagna noodles (traditional or oven-ready)

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Make the pesto by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Reserve 1/4 cup of pesto for the baking dish. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the remaining pesto until fully coated.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Slowly pour in the milk while continuing to whisking. Simmer, whisking regularly, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and parmesan. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and the cheese is melted.

Add water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook according to package instructions. If you're using no-boil noodles, skip this step.

Lasagna Assembly

Spread the reserved 1/4 cup of pesto on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Lay noodles, followed by a layer of the pesto-chicken mixture, then a layer of béchamel.

Continue layering until ingredients are used or you run out of noodles.

Layer the top noodles with the last of the bechamel sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella (and extra parmesan if desired).

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let the lasagna rest for 30 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving Size

Calories

587.14 kcal

Total Fat

29.8 g

Saturated Fat

10.26 g

Unsaturated Fat

17.29 g

Trans Fat

0.23 g

Cholesterol

75.19 mg

Sodium

514 mg

Total Carbohydrate

51.1 g

Dietary Fiber

2.13 g

Total Sugars

6.49 g

Protein

28.09 g