One of the first things I ever learned to cook was a white sauce lasagna. I made it constantly and everyone loved it. Over the years I kept experimenting and tweaking, and this chicken and spinach version is the result of all of that. I have finally perfected it and it is easily one of my favorite things I have ever made.
What makes this different from a classic lasagna is the lemon in the white sauce. I always felt like lasagnas were too heavy and rich, and the lemon zest and juice in the sauce cuts through all of that and makes every bite feel lighter and brighter. The spinach goes into both the chicken mixture and the white sauce, so it is really layered through the whole dish. And a vegetarian version is coming soon too, so watch this space.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A lighter take on lasagna thanks to the lemon white sauce
- Spinach in both the chicken filling and the sauce for maximum flavor
- Creamy ricotta and Parmesan mixed through the chicken mixture
- Uses no boil lasagna sheets to keep things simple
- Golden, bubbling, cheesy top that everyone goes for first
- A recipe that has been years in the making and is finally perfect
Ingredients
For the Chicken Mixture
- 800g chicken breast or thigh, cubed
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oil for cooking
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 200g baby spinach
- 200g ricotta or cream cheese
- 4 to 5 tbsp grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Creamy Lemon White Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp flour
- 500ml milk, adjust based on desired thickness
- 200ml cream
- 1 tsp each salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chilli flakes, and chicken powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 bowl shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 200g spinach, chopped
For Layering
- Lasagna sheets, no boil variety such as Barilla
- 250g shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
Instructions
1. Marinate and Cook the Chicken
Cube the chicken and season with paprika, black pepper, salt, and soy sauce. Mix well and set aside to marinate for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Do not wipe the pan.
2. Build the Chicken Mixture
In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant.
Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted. Add the cooked chicken back into the pan and mix everything together. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the ricotta or cream cheese and grated Parmesan to the bowl. Mix until fully combined and creamy. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Make the Creamy Lemon White Sauce
Using the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and sauté for a minute until fragrant.
Add the flour and stir continuously for a minute to cook it out. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring as you go to avoid lumps. Add the cream and stir until smooth and beginning to thicken.
Add the salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chilli flakes, chicken powder, the additional lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir well and let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the shredded cheddar and stir until melted and smooth. Pour in the stock and stir to loosen to a silky consistency.
Remove from the heat and fold in the chopped spinach. Set aside.
4. Assemble the Lasagna
Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Start with a layer of white sauce on the base of your baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna sheets. Spread a layer of the chicken mixture on top, then pour over more white sauce. Repeat, alternating white sauce, lasagna sheets, and chicken mixture until you run out of filling, finishing with a generous layer of white sauce on top.
Scatter the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the top layer of sauce.
5. Bake
Bake covered loosely with foil at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until the lasagna sheets are cooking through and the filling is bubbling. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. The total baking time is around 35 to 40 minutes.
If using pre boiled lasagna sheets, reduce the total baking time to around 25 to 30 minutes as the sheets are already cooked and just need to heat through and absorb the sauce.
Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Why Lemon in a Lasagna
Lasagna can sometimes feel like a commitment. Rich, heavy, and filling to the point where one slice is almost too much. The lemon zest and juice in the white sauce changes all of that. It adds a brightness and acidity that lifts the whole dish and makes it feel much lighter than a traditional lasagna while keeping all the comfort and creaminess you want.
It is a small addition that makes a genuinely noticeable difference to how the dish feels, and it is the detail that everyone always comments on when they eat it.
Spinach Everywhere
The spinach going into both the chicken mixture and the white sauce is intentional. You get it layered through every part of the lasagna rather than just in one component. It adds a freshness and color to the filling and a subtle earthiness to the sauce that works beautifully with the lemon and cream.
Baby spinach in the chicken mixture wilts down quickly and stays tender. Chopped spinach stirred into the finished white sauce keeps a little more texture. Both add flavor at different points throughout the dish.
The No Boil Sheets
Using no boil lasagna sheets like Barilla makes this recipe genuinely weeknight friendly. They soften and cook through perfectly during baking as long as the sauce has enough moisture to hydrate them. The white sauce does exactly that. Make sure every layer of sheets is well covered in sauce so nothing dries out during baking.
Tips for Getting It Right
Be generous with the white sauce between every layer. The no boil sheets absorb moisture as they cook so you need enough sauce to keep everything hydrated and creamy all the way through.
Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes after baking before slicing. Cutting it too soon will cause the layers to slide apart. Resting lets everything set and gives you clean, defined slices.
Make sure the top layer is well covered in sauce before adding the cheese. A dry top will result in sheets that do not cook through properly underneath the cheese.
The chicken mixture and white sauce can both be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge, making assembly quick on the day you want to bake it.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover lasagna keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and actually tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to settle.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole dish covered with foil in the oven at 160°C until warmed through. Add a splash of milk or a spoonful of white sauce before reheating if it looks a little dry.
The lasagna also freezes well. Slice into portions, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Can I use regular lasagna sheets instead of no boil?
Yes. Boil them according to the package instructions before layering. Just make sure not to overcook them as they will continue to soften in the oven.
Q. Can I make this vegetarian?
A vegetarian version is coming soon! In the meantime, you can swap the chicken for roasted vegetables or a mix of mushrooms and additional spinach and follow the same process.
Q. Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. Thaw it fully and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible before adding it to either the chicken mixture or the white sauce. Excess water will make the sauce thin.
Q. Can I assemble this ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the lasagna fully, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time if going straight from the fridge.
Q. What size baking dish works best?
A standard rectangular baking dish around 30 x 20cm works well for this quantity of filling and gives you 4 to 5 good layers.
Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Chicken Mixture
- 800 g chicken breast or thigh cubed
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oil for cooking
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 200 g baby spinach
- 200 g ricotta or cream cheese
- 4 to 5 tbsp grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Creamy Lemon White Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp flour
- 500 ml milk adjust based on desired thickness
- 200 ml cream
- 1 tsp each salt black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chilli flakes, and chicken powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 bowl shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 200 g spinach chopped
For Layering
- Lasagna sheets no boil variety such as Barilla (you can also boil the sheets)
- 250 g shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Season the cubed chicken with paprika, black pepper, salt, and soy sauce. Marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat and cook the chicken until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted. Add the chicken back in and mix. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ricotta and Parmesan until combined and creamy. Season to taste and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and sauté for a minute. Add the flour and stir for a minute to cook it out. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the cream and stir until smooth and thickening. Add all the spices, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the cheddar and stir until melted. Pour in the stock and stir until silky. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped spinach.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread a layer of white sauce on the base of the baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna sheets, then a layer of chicken mixture, then more white sauce. Repeat until you run out of filling, finishing with a generous layer of white sauce on top. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Total baking time is 35 to 40 minutes.
- If using pre boiled sheets, reduce the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.
- Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
