Chicken, Squash and Pesto Lasagne

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This chicken, squash and pesto lasagne appeared in the BBC Good Food 2018 Winter Collection supplement.   

Chicken and pesto are a perfect combination, and adding in the squash makes this a full of flavour, delicious alternative to the traditional lasagne...although I love it too!

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How to make this Chicken, Squash and Pesto Lasagne

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 600ml chicken stock (made using 1 stock cube or pot)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500g mascarpone
• 190g jar pesto
• a bunch of basil, leaves picked and chopped (save a few small whole leaves to serve)
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp water
• a good grating of nutmeg
• 12 lasagne sheets
• 85g parmesan, grated
• a splash of milk (I use semi-skimmed)
• 50g pine nuts

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large casserole dish. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Push the onions and garlic to the edge of the pan, add the chicken breasts and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side to brown. Sprinkle over the flour and stir it into the onion mixture. Add the stock and season. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes – or until the chicken is cooked through. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Add half the mascarpone and the pesto, stirring until the mascarpone has melted into the sauce, bubble for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken a little, then remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Meanwhile, place the squash in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of water, cover with cling film and microwave on high for 12 to 15 minutes, until really soft. Season the squash with a little of the nutmeg and some salt and pepper, and mash lightly with a fork.
3. Spoon half the chicken mixture into the bottom of a 20 x 30cm ovenproof dish. Cover with 4 lasagne sheets, then the butternut squash and half the Parmesan. Top with another 4 lasagne sheets, the remaining chicken mixture, then a final layer of lasagne. Mix enough milk into the remaining mascarpone to make a smooth sauce – you need to aim for a consistency similar to a white sauce. Season with the remaining nutmeg and some salt and pepper, then pour over the lasagne. Scatter over the remaining parmesan and the pine nuts. Bake for 40 minutes until piping hot in the centre and crunchy and golden on top. Scatter with a few extra basil leaves before serving.

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Chicken, Squash and Pesto Lasagne

By: Deborah

A perfect combination of flavours makes this a delicious alternative to the traditional lasagne.

PREP: 20 minutes minutes

COOK: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

TOTAL: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 people

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 600 ml (2 ½ cups) chicken stock (made using 1 stock cube or pot)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500 g (17.6 oz) mascarpone
• 190 g (6.7 oz) jar pesto
• a bunch of basil leaves picked and chopped (save a few small whole leaves to serve)
• 1 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp water
• a good grating of nutmeg
• 12 lasagne sheets
• 85 g (¾ cup) parmesan grated
• a splash of milk (I use semi-skimmed)
• 50 g (1.8 oz) pine nuts

Instructions

• Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large casserole dish. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Push the onions and garlic to the edge of the pan, add the chicken breasts and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side to brown. Sprinkle over the flour and stir it into the onion mixture. Add the stock and season. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes – or until the chicken is cooked through. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Add half the mascarpone and the pesto, stirring until the mascarpone has melted into the sauce, bubble for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken a little, then remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Meanwhile, place the squash in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of water, cover with cling film and microwave on high for 12 to 15 minutes, until really soft. Season the squash with a little of the nutmeg and some salt and pepper, and mash lightly with a fork.
• Spoon half the chicken mixture into the bottom of a 20 x 30cm ovenproof dish. Cover with 4 lasagne sheets, then the butternut squash and half the Parmesan. Top with another 4 lasagne sheets, the remaining chicken mixture, then a final layer of lasagne. Mix enough milk into the remaining mascarpone to make a smooth sauce – you need to aim for a consistency similar to a white sauce. Season with the remaining nutmeg and some salt and pepper, then pour over the lasagne. Scatter over the remaining parmesan and the pine nuts. Bake for 40 minutes until piping hot in the centre and crunchy and golden on top. Scatter with a few extra basil leaves before serving.

Notes

• Freezable - assemble the lasagne completely, then cool. Wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to three months. Transfer to the fridge 24 hours before you want to cook it, then bake as directed.
• This chicken, squash and pesto lasagne is easily adapted if you want to make less.

 

You might also like to try:

• pasta dishes
• lasagne recipes

Nutrition

Calories: 1153kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 914mg | Potassium: 1381mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 15329IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 434mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

KEYWORDS chicken lasagne, comfort food, freezable, lasagne, pasta bake, winter warmer

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