Party Pesto Chicken Lasagne Recipe

Party Pesto Chicken Lasagne Recipe
When it comes to dinner party fare, pasta recipes are easy, being fairly forgiving to the host when mishaps arise and usually a welcome entree to guests. One of my favorites is lasagne, but sometimes I think, "Oh, that's just too much work."
I was recently at the International Food Bloggers Conference and got some coupons to try Isernio's lean, premium ground chicken. Yum! Chicken is my favorite meat to cook with, and I thought, well, here is my push to try a new lasagna recipe.
It just so happened that we got a massive, oversized jar of pesto from Costco over the weekend. You see where this is going. Chicken... pesto... lasagne! That's exactly the recipe you'll find below. And I promise: while it does take a bit of prep time, you'll love it.


Party Pesto Chicken Lasagne



Ingredients:
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sage
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 2 cups asiago cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup pesto (split into half)
  • Approx. 12 lasagne noodles
  • 1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Brown the ground chicken in a large pan with garlic, sage, and thyme, then set aside and preheat your oven to 350F.
In one bowl, combine the asiago, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
In a second medium-sized bowl, combine the ricotta and the egg. Once mixed evenly, add 1/4 cup of pesto and combine.
In a fresh pan, start a roux by melting the butter and then slowly mix in the flour, stirring vigorously. Once combined, slowly stir in the milk and broth. Once fully combined, bring mixture to a boil, allowing mixture to thicken up (approx. 10-15 minutes).
Once thick, remove sauce from heat and add 1/4 cup of pesto, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Take 1/4 cup of this pesto cream mix and add it to the chicken, combining evenly.
Boil a large pot of water and cook your lasagne noodles al dente according to manufacturer's instructions.
Grease your pasta pan (recommend approx. 9 x 13). Layer your noodles from bottom to top:
  • Bottom layer: a spoonful of pesto cream with 3 lasagne noodles on top
  • Repeat twice: 1/3 of ricotta mix, 1/3 of the chicken, 1/4 of pesto cream, 1/4 of mixed cheese blend, a few pinches of chopped basil, topped with lasagne noodles
  • Top layer: cover with what you have left of your cheese blend, then sprinkle sharp cheddar on top
Bake your glorious layered mix approximately 30 minutes -- top should be golden and bubbly. Allow lasagne to cool 10-15 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
Pairs well with a spicy, bold red wine.

For another lasagne recipe, check out our fun easy "plum" wheel lasagne recipe.

Andy Hayes

Andy Hayes is the founder and creator of Plum Deluxe. He authors our award-winning weekly email newsletter, The Blend and curates our popular organic tea of the month club.
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