Chicken Lasagna with Spinach
This Chicken Lasagna Recipe with Spinach is made with fresh chicken breasts, so the meat is extra moist and delicious! A non traditional lasagna recipe that is the perfect comfort food!
When the weather gets cold in upstate NY, we veer quickly to this ultimate comfort food that gives us the perfect excuse to turn the oven on to warm up this old farmhouse!
Why does this recipe work?
- The flavor is lighter and fresh thanks to the use of tomatoes and spinach
- The flavors complement each other so well.
- Easy to make. The perfect weekend comfort meal.
- It can be made 2-3 days ahead, so it’s great for entertaining or for weekend batch cooking to feed the family all week.
- Freezes well.
What you need
- Lasagna pasta: Buy a good quality noodle
- Tomatoes: A 15-ounce can of diced, stewed or crushed tomatoes will make the lasagna fresher than pasta sauce.
- Olive oil: Good Quality olive oil to sauté the chicken, garlic and spinach.
- Garlic: Use whole cloves of fresh garlic.
- Chicken: One pound of chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Spinach: One bag of fresh spinach.
For the cheese layer
- Ricotta: Use whole milk ricotta or part-skim ricotta, whichever you have on hand.
- Eggs: Two whole, fresh eggs.
- Oregano: Dried oregano is fine but use fresh if you have it. Double the amount if using fresh.
- Parmesan cheese: Fresh parmesan or pecorino romano is best. You can also use a mixture of the two.
- Mozzarella: But a whole block of mozzarella and slice pieces. It is cheaper than buying presliced.
This recipe is super easy and fast to prepare! You just have to cook the pasta and sauté the chicken with a whole ton of garlic! I just used diced, crushed or stewed tomatoes for the sauce. It gave it a lighter, fresher flavor than using tomato sauce.
How to prepare lasagna
Brown chicken with a splash of olive oil. Add garlic for the last 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Mix ricotta, eggs, oregano—season with salt and pepper.
In the same pan, saute spinach with a bit more oil just until wilted.
Moisten the bottom of the lasagna pan with tomatoes so the casserole doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Add a layer of pasta. Spread half of the ricotta filling on top.
Add another layer of pasta. Spread tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with half of the chicken and spinach.
Sprinkle that layer with grated parmesan and sliced mozzarella.
Repeat layering steps, using the remainder of the prepared ingredients. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 1 hour until hot and bubbly. If the cheese on the top is getting too browned on the top, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Pro tips to help you succeed
- Brown chicken pieces in a very hot pan.
- Cut chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the pasta just shy of al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven.
- Use any tomato product you have on hand. If you freeze tomatoes from your garden, they work perfectly.
- If the top of the cheese is getting too brown, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
What to do With Leftovers
Store leftover lasagna covered with aluminum foil for up to four days in the refrigerator.
Freeze individual servings in airtight freezer containers for up to six months. Leftovers are perfect for meal prep on busy nights when you don’t have time to cook.
Thaw lasagna in the fridge overnight. Reheat the lasagna for about two minutes in the microwave. Leftovers can be heated in the oven, covered with aluminum foil for 20-30 at 350°F.
I hope you like this recipe for Chicken Lasagna Recipe with Spinach, if you love this, you will love this other Italian inspired dish, Chicken Florentine Pizza and this creamy, delicious Chicken Divan. Thanks for stopping by today!
Other Delicious Pasta
- Chicken Capri Parmigiana
- Eric’s Lemon Chicken
- White Lasagna
- Spaghetti Casserole
- Pasta with Ham and Peas
- Meaty Pasta Sauce
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Chorizo Pasta with Fried Basil
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Chicken Lasagna with Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 pound lasagna noodles, 1 lb., cooked according to package directions
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound chicken tenders, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 56 ounces stewed, diced or crushed tomatoes, 2 large cans
- 2 teaspoon each, basil, parsley, oregano or use Italian seasoning
- 2 lbs ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- ½ box frozen spinach can use canned or fresh, sautéed in same pan as chicken
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, sliced about ½ pound of mozzarella cheese.
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mushrooms, sautéed, if desired
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package directions in a large pot with salted water. Drain the pasta when it is just shy of al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven.1 pound lasagna noodles, 1 lb., cooked according to package directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and sauté over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until browned on first side. Add garlic after you have flipped the first side.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 pound chicken tenders, seasoned with salt and pepper, 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Remove chicken from pan when both sides are brown and allow to cool. Once cooled, chop into bite sized pieces.
- Sauté the spinach if you're using fresh in a bit more olive oil.½ box frozen spinach
- Add mushrooms with a bit more oil if you are using them. Sauté them for about five minutes until tender. Add the canned tomatoes and spices, along with salt and pepper, to the pan.56 ounces stewed, diced or crushed tomatoes, 2 large cans, 2 teaspoon each, basil, parsley, oregano, 1 cup mushrooms, sautéed, if desired
- Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in the ricotta with egg, oregano, salt and pepper.2 lbs ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, whisked, 2 teaspoon oregano, dried, 2 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Place about 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a deep 9×13-inch baking dish or lasagna pan. Top with a single layer of pasta.
- Top pasta with half of the ricotta and spread it over the pasta.
- Top with another layer of pasta, and then spread a generous layer of the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle on the chicken, spinach, mushrooms and mozzarella. Finally, top with a generous layer of parmesan cheese.1 cup mozzarella cheese, sliced, 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Top that layer with more pasta and repeat the last three steps with the remaining ingredients.
- There should be the perfect amount of everything to repeat two layers of each: the ricotta layer and the sauce layer.
- Bake at 350°F for 1- 1½ hours until hot and bubbly.
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