Classic Chicken Lasagna is a traditional Italian dish prepared with layers of flat pasta sheets or Lasagna noodles, sauce of your choice and cheese. Classic Chicken Lasagna was one of the oldest types of pasta prepared for a large group of people. This dish was considered a wholesome meal and was served with some wine in the early days. However, we have lasagna as one of the most ordered dishes when we visit an Italian bistro or restaurant.
There are several kinds of sauces you can prepare for your lasagna with any veggies or meat of your choice. Our recipe for Classic Chicken Lasagna uses the most simple ingredients (chicken, tomato, carrots and celery) and is easy to follow as well.
Simple Classic Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
- 9 sheets lasagna sheets
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - grated (100 grams)
FOR THE CHICKEN SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups white onion - medium-size, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot - medium-size, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery - finely chopped (You can use broccoli if you cannot find celery)
- 5 cloves garlic - crushed or finely chopped
- ½ pound ground chicken (minced chicken)
- 1 medium tomato - finely chopped
- 2 cups passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed) - (about 4-5 tomatoes)
- 1 pinch salt - for seasoning
- 1 pinch ground black pepper - for seasoning
- ½ cup white wine - garlic
- 5 pieces basil - chopped (use dry if you cannot find fresh)
FOR THE WHITE SAUCE:
- ½ stick butter - (50 grams)
- ½ cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - (40 grams)
- 2 ½ cups milk - (500 milliliters) The sauce needs to have a creamy texture, so add milk accordingly.
- 1 pinch salt - to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- To make the chicken sauce. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add chopped garlic and onions and saute for 2 minutes. Now add chopped carrots, basil leaves, celery and cook on a low medium till they are soft. Stir occasionally so that the veggies do not burn.
- Add ground chicken and cook for about 30 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Now add tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and white wine. Let this simmer on a low flame until all the flavors are combined well (this might take up to an hour).
- Season the sauce with oregano, salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer until chicken is cooked and most of the water has evaporated (the sauce needs to be creamy and thick).
- To make the white sauce. In a saucepan, melt butter. Once butter melts, add flour and stir continuously, making sure it does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Now add milk and whisk so that there are no lumps.
- Season white sauce with salt and pepper and cook on a low flame for 15-20 minutes. Stir often. Your white sauce should have a creamy and thick texture.
- Next, assemble the Classic Chicken Lasagna (Let us make 2 layers of everything).
- Preheat the oven to 175°C or 350°F for 20 minutes.
- Immerse lasagna noodles in warm water till they are soft.
- In a baking dish, spread half of the chicken sauce evenly. Now pour half of the white sauce over the chicken and place pasta sheets to cover the mixture. Sprinkle some shredded cheese and repeat the same process once again.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake lasagna for 40-45 minutes. When you see from the sides that sauce is simmering and cheese on top has turned golden brown, your Classic Chicken Lasagna is ready to be served. Take it out from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before you serve it.
- Divide the lasagna into equal parts and make sure each serving gets equal amounts of pasta, sauce and cheese.
- Serve your Classic Chicken Lasagna with the wine of your choice. If you do not wish to use wine, you can substitute the wine with some chicken stock. It tastes just as good.