Comfort food doesn’t get much better than a homemade lasagna, and this chicken version is no different! Easy to make, it’s a great family meal that everyone will love!
Easy Chicken Lasagna with Red Sauce
Layers of pasta with a tomato and chicken sauce, ricotta cheese and spinach, this chicken lasagna is all kinds of delicious!
Pasta is one of my go to meals when I want something hearty and comforting, and I know that everyone is going to love it!
Simple to make this Italian favorite is always guaranteed to please!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Lasagna Recipe:
- Easy: Baked in the oven, mush of the time to make this recipe is completely hands off, leaving you to get on with other things.
- Kid-friendly: Even your picky eaters will love this chicken lasagna!
- Make ahead: This recipe is great for meal prep and freezer meals.
How to make chicken lasagna
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook the pancetta in a skillet until slightly crispy.
- Add in the seasoning, carrots, onion and garlic and soften.
- Stir in and cook the ground chicken.
- Add the marinara sauce and simmer.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Layer the chicken sauce, noodles, ricotta mix and cheeses and repeat the layers.
- Bake and serve.
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great make ahead meal for those busy evenings! The cooked chicken lasagna will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, or, alternatively you can make it right up to the point of baking and refrigerate. Unbaked lasagna will keep well for two to three days, then you just need to pop it in the oven to cook through.
Reheat lasagna in the oven, covered with foil, at 325F for about 20 minutes until warmed through.
Can you freeze it?
You can freeze the lasagna either baked or unbaked. I find the best results are when you freeze it unbaked as the texture of the noodles stays firmer. If baked, it can be frozen whole or in individual squares.
You can cook it right from frozen if unbaked, it will take around an hour. Baked lasagna is best thawed in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What do you serve it with?
Lasagna is great to serve with veggie or salad sides, or if you fancy, some crusty bread. Try it with:
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I find that ground chicken works best for this recipe. If you have cooked shredded chicken to use up, you can stir that into the marinara sauce before layering the lasagna.
- Cover the lasagna with foil when you bake it. This will protect the top from browning too much.
- Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before cutting it, this will help the filling to solidify.
This easy chicken lasagna is so hearty and comforting, there’s nothing not to love about this recipe! Be sure to make a couple so you have one ready to go right from the freezer!
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
- Chicken Primavera
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Soup
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Chicken Lasagna with Red Sauace
Ingredients
For the Meat sauce:
- 4 ounces pancetta
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 2 jars your favorite marinara sauce 23.5 ounces each
For the Cheese Layers:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1 egg
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 1 pound oven ready lasagna noodles
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Toppings:
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil
- Grated parmesan
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Finely chop the pancetta, onion, and carrots. Alternatively, you can pulse the pancetta in the food processor until a chunky paste forms. Transfer to a bowl. Then, pulse the onion and carrots in the food processor.
- Add the olive oil and the chopped pancetta to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the pancetta is browned and slightly crispy. Add in the Italian seasoning, carrots, and onion, cooking for about 7-8 minutes until softened. Add in the garlic, and cook for minute until fragrant. Stir in the ground chicken, breaking it up into pieces. Cook until browned. Stir in the marinara sauce and let everything simmer for a few minutes. Then, remove the sauce from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. To assemble the lasagna, layer 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom on of a 9×13 casserole dish. Then layer with the following: an even layer of lasagna noodles, 2 1/2 cups of meat sauce, a few spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers once more. Then, finish with another layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and a generous sprinkling of mozzarella.
- Cover the lasagna with the tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove the tin foil, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped parsley, basil, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- I find that ground chicken works best for this recipe. If you have cooked shredded chicken to use up, you can stir that into the marinara sauce before layering the lasagna.
- Cover the lasagna with foil when you bake it. This will protect the top from browning too much.
- Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before cutting it, this will help the filling to solidify.
Mamag says
Didn’t have left overs. Everyone gobbled it up!
Becky Hardin says
Time to double up that recipe!