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White Lasagna with Chicken and Pesto

This EASY lasagna is filled with chicken, pesto, spinach, and a creamy (slightly lightened up) white sauce. And of course a healthy dose of ricotta!

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 623 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 & 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked chicken chopped (rotisserie is best)
  • 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup basil pesto homemade or store-bought
  • 1 egg
  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 2 & 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and saute 5-8 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
  3. While it's sautéing, add 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
  4. Add 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic and saute one more minute.
  5. In increments, sprinkle 6 tablespoons of flour over the onion mixture, stirring well after each addition to make sure the flour is incorporated.
  6. In a large glass measuring cup, add 1/3 milk, 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 and 2/3 cup chicken broth. (I used 1 and 2/3 cup water and 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base.) Stir to combine.
  7. Gradually add the liquid to the pan, whisking constantly. Go as slow as you need to make sure the liquid gets absorbed. You want to whisk out any chunks.
  8. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is thickened slightly, just a couple minutes.
  9. Add the chicken to the white sauce and turn off the heat.
  10. In a medium bowl, stir together 15 ounces of ricotta, 1/3 cup pesto, and 1 egg.
  11. To assemble: wet the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish with about 1/2 cup of the white sauce. Just enough so the noodles don't stick.
  12. Layer 3 no-boil lasagna noodles on top. Spread with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1/2 cup of fresh spinach. Add 1/3 of the white sauce and spread to the edges. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
  13. Repeat the layers two more times. 1) Noodles, 2) ricotta, 3) spinach, 4)white sauce, 5) cheese.
  14. Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
  15. Spray a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and cover the lasagna.
  16. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until cooked and tender.
  17. Remove the foil and turn up the oven temperature to broil. Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 1 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it!
  18. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. I like to serve this with some bread, a big salad, and maybe some other green vegetable.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 623kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 34g (11%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 39g (60%) Saturated Fat 17g (85%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 152mg (51%) Potassium 466mg (13%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 2001IU (40%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 408mg (41%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 623

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 623kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 34g 11%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 39g 60%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 152mg 51%
Potassium 466mg 10%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 2001IU 40%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 408mg 41%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.