Main Meals
Pesto Chicken Lasagne
Jan
Chicken and pesto are a match made in culinary heaven, the flavours complement each other very well. I have frequently added pesto to a chicken dish to boost the flavour of a dish.
This recipe was born from being given some delicious mozzarella cheese, and knowing that I had some fresh Otway Pasta Lasagne sheets in the freezer at home, I purchased 3 chicken breasts at my local butcher Meat at Beany’s in Koroit and headed home knowing that I would have everything else I would need in my pantry or fridge to create a delicious meal.
I used store bought Basil Pesto because that is what I had, but by all means use fresh if you have that and to change the flavour profile you could use Sundried Tomato Pesto or Rose Harissa Pesto and both would make an equally lovely dish.
I make a double batch of bechamel sauce in my Themomix for the cheese sauce which is cooking whilst you are preparing the chicken mixture.
Pesto Chicken Lasagne
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Garlic, chopped
- 2 Spring Onions, chopped
- 3 Chicken Breasts, small dice
- 1/2-1 Cup Pesto according to taste
- 2 Tbsp Sun Dried Tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 Cup Roasted Capsicum, diced
- 1-2 Cups Spinach leaves, chopped
- 250 gm Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- 400 gm Fresh lasagne sheets
Cheese Sauce
- 90 gm Butter
- 90 gm Plain Flour
- 1000 ml Milk
- 2 Pinch Salt
- 2 Pinch Pepper
- 2 Pinch Nutmeg
- 2 cups Tasty Cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large pan cook the chicken and spring onions a few minutes.
- Stir in the pesto, sundried tomatoes and capsicum and cook until chicken is almost cooked, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.
- Stir in 3/4 of the Cheese Sauce.
- Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan or microwave jug
- Stir in the flour until a smooth paste forms.
- Slowly add the milk and mix it into the flour mix.
- Cook in the microwave 3 minutes on high; stirring regularly, or cook on the stove for 10 minutes or so until thickened.
- Stir in the grated cheese, cook until the cheese has melted.
Assembly
- Preheat oven 170C
- In a greased large lasagne dish or baking dish layer lasagne sheets, chicken mixture and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, I like 3 layers of lasagne sheets.
- Spread the top with remaining portion of cheese sauce and sprinkle with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese
- Bake for 10-50 minutes
- Remove from the oven and sit for 10 minutes, cut and serve with a simple salad.
Notes
