White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Use chicken that is already cooked and shred it into small pieces so it spreads easily between the noodles. The white sauce should be pourable enough to reach the corners. Let the finished pan rest before serving.
Make-ahead chicken and broth: HKT Instant Pot Chicken and Broth — https://www.homegrownkitchentable.com/all-recipes/instant-pot-chicken-and-broth
Ingredients
9 regular lasagna noodles, not oven-ready; cooked al dente according to the package
4 cups fully cooked shredded chicken; chicken from HKT Instant Pot Chicken and Broth is an option
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups prepared unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth; strained broth from HKT Instant Pot Chicken and Broth is an option
1½ cups half-and-half, or ¾ cup heavy cream mixed with ¾ cup whole milk
5 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 large egg
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
Water for boiling the noodles, and cooking spray or a little oil for the pan and foil
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish, at least 3 inches deep, and set it on a rimmed sheet. Cook the 9 regular noodles in a large pot of water until just al dente, following the package time. Drain, briefly rinse with cool water, and lay them separately on a clean sheet so they do not stick. Measure out 4 cups of fully cooked shredded chicken.
Heat the tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the butter; once melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for about 2 minutes without letting it darken.
Slowly whisk in the prepared chicken broth, then the half-and-half, 1 teaspoon of the sea salt and all the pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking, and cook for about 4–6 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. Stir in the chopped spinach and cook about 1–2 minutes until wilted. Remove the sauce from the heat.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, parsley, Parmesan, remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt and 2 cups of the mozzarella. Keep the remaining 1 cup mozzarella separate for the top.
Spread about ½ cup spinach white sauce in the bottom of the dish. Divide the rest of the sauce into 3 roughly equal portions. Add 3 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the cooked chicken and one portion of sauce. Repeat with 3 more noodles, the rest of the ricotta mixture, the rest of the chicken and another portion of sauce. Finish with the final 3 noodles, the last sauce portion and the reserved 1 cup mozzarella. Cover all noodle edges with sauce and leave at least ½ inch of headroom.
Lightly grease the underside of the foil and cover the dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15–25 minutes more, until bubbling, lightly golden on top and at least 165°F in the center. If the top browns before the middle is hot, loosely cover it again. A refrigerated pan may need additional covered baking time.
Rest for 15 minutes before cutting into 12 pieces. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow portions, within 2 hours or within 1 hour above 90°F. Keep for 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze cooled individual portions for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator and reheat covered to 165°F throughout.