What to serve with lasagna?

There are so many options that go with lasagna. Try a simple salad like a classic Caesar with homemade Caesar dressing or Caprese Burrata . If it's cold out, pair it with a soup, like this Chicken Minestrone Soup . For an easy side dish, try this Stuffed Garlic bread , which is super fun to eat because it pulls apart.

Why do I have to boil the pasta?

I'm not using a no bake lasagna in this recipe. I grew up with lasagna versions that boil the noodles before baking and I prefer those recipes. I haven't tested it with no bake noodles, and don't recommend it, because there isn't a ton of sauce in this recipe and we only bake it for 30 minutes total.

How to Store & Reheat:

Store the leftover lasagna in square portion sizes in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the lasagna into a casserole dish or cookie sheet and seal the top with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until hot. Note: Make sure to cover with foil to avoid the Alfredo sauce from completely drying up in the oven.

Can you Freeze the Leftovers?

Yes! Allow the lasagna to come to room temperature, then vacuum seal into individual servings and freeze. Use within 2 months for the best taste. This is a great way to be able to eat it again after putting so much work into the first version. Allow it to thaw completely before reheating in the oven (according to the reheating instructions above).

Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli

Name: Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 16 ounce lasagna (regular, not no bake); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine; 2 heads of broccoli, stems removed and chopped into small pieces (see ingredient photo above in post for visual); 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 8 ounce block mozzarella cheese, grated; 15 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese; 1 egg; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; White and dark meat from store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed, then pulled and roughly chopped; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter; 1 and 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated fine from the block; Optional: (crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon of fresh basil or parsley, minced for serving)

Description

This Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli is filled with the most delicious flavors! It's cheesy, and stacked tall with layers of pasta and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce. I've been told by several people that they couldn't stop eating it, and I know the feeling!

Ingredients

Scale

16 ounce lasagna (regular, not no bake)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine
2 heads of broccoli, stems removed and chopped into small pieces (see ingredient photo above in post for visual)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
8 ounce block mozzarella cheese, grated
15 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
White and dark meat from store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed, then pulled and roughly chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
1 and 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups parmesan cheese, grated fine from the block
Optional: (crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon of fresh basil or parsley, minced for serving)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the lasagna. In a large skillet over medium low heat, add in the olive oil and allow to heat up. Toss in the onions and broccoli and stir to combine. Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring half way through. Toss in the minced garlic, stir and cover until broccoli is nice and tender, about 1-3 minutes. Turn the heat off and transfer the broccoli and onion mixture to a large bowl.
Once the water boils, add the lasagna noodles and cook until just a few minutes before al dente (about 8 minutes), then strain. Note: The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and should be very firm. If they're sticking together after boiling, run a bit of cold water through them and if needed lay out flat on a cookie sheet.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 4 ounces (half) of the grated mozzarella, egg and salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir to combine and set aside.
Wipe out the cooled broccoli skillet and heat to medium low again. To make the Alfredo Sauce, melt the butter in the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and add in heavy cream.
Cook for 5 minutes until nice and hot, stirring every so often, then add in the parmesan cheese. Stir often and allow the sauce to thicken on low heat. Note: The thickening process takes between 5-7 minutes, depending on the heat,skillet, etc. Once it's thickened, remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir the rotisserie chicken into the broccoli and onion bowl.
To assemble the lasagna, prepare a 9x13 casserole dish. (1) Spread about a ladle full of alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan. (2) Cover with 4 lasagna noodles and if desired, slice 1 noodle in half a position it on the end in the opposite direction. We are using 4 1/2 noodles per layer. Spread out about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the ricotta filling over the noodles. (3) Sprinkle over 3/4 cup of broccoli and chicken over the ricotta filling. (4) Complete the layer by drizzling over a few tablespoons of alfredo sauce. Repeat steps 2-4 two more times, which is 3 layers of filling total.
Top the last layer with 4 or 4 1/2 lasagna noodles, then pour the remaining alfredo sauce over the top of the noodles and spread out. It should cover all the noodles. Sprinkle on the remaining half of mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Optional: Broil on high for 2-3 minutes for crispy cheese topping.
Remove the casserole from the oven. Allow to sit tented with foil for 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
Serve with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley or basil, if desired. Enjoy!

Equipment

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Notes

Shred the parmesan cheese from the block on the finest setting of the grater for an easy melt. Do not use bagged cheese as it has an anti-caking agent that doesn't melt well.
Make sure the broccoli and onions are nice and tender before removing from the pan.
Cook the lasagna a bit less than how you would want to eat it. It will continue to cook in the oven and we want it to be al dente still when served. After straining, if the pasta is sticking together, run cold water over it before assembling the layers.
When layering remember not to overfill or over sauce. We need to make the fillings and sauce last for three layers, then use the remaining Alfredo sauce for topping. You want at least half of the Alfredo sauce leftover for topping.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: dinner
Method: bake
Cuisine: Italian