Chicken Lasagna with Red Sauce

4.69 from 38 votes

My red sauce chicken lasagna is a comfort food classic made a bit healthier with ground chicken instead of beef. It's a simple and delicious weeknight dinner idea or make ahead meal!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: slices

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

9x13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

4 ounces pancetta *
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic minced
2 pounds ground chicken **
47 ounces marinara sauce 2 (23.5-ounce) jars

For Assembly:

15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh spinach chopped
1 large egg
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pound oven-ready lasagna noodles ***
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Optional Toppings:

Chopped fresh parsley or basil
grated parmesan cheese
Crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Finely chop the pancetta and onion, and grate the 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.
4 ounces pancetta, 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots
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 1 minute, until fragrant.
2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 3 cloves garlic
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 the heat.
2 pounds ground chicken, 47 ounces marinara sauce
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper.
15 ounces ricotta cheese, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1 large egg, 1 pinch kosher salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper
To assemble the lasagna, layer 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Then layer with the following: an even layer of lasagna noodles; 2½ cups of meat sauce; a few spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture; a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
1 pound oven-ready lasagna noodles, 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Repeat the layers once more, in the same order. Then, finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and a generous sprinkling of mozzarella.
Cover the lasagna with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then remove the tin foil, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Remove the lasagna from the oven, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes if desired.
Chopped fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese, Crushed red pepper flakes

Video

Notes

*The pancetta can be left out if preferred. Or substitute diced/chopped bacon.

**Ground chicken can be swapped for ground beef or turkey. Or substitute shredded chicken.

***Be sure to use oven-ready/no-boil lasagna noodles for this recipe. This ingredient makes things just a little bit easier. Regular lasagna noodles will need to be boiled before layering.

Tips:

Cover the lasagna with foil while baking. This will protect the top from browning too much.
Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before slicing. This gives the filling time to solidify.
Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.

Make Ahead: Assemble lasagna as instructed, but do not bake. Cover the lasagna tightly with foil (multiple layers if freezing). Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. When ready to cook, bake as instructed. Thaw if frozen, or add 1 hour to bake from frozen.

Storage: Store chicken lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for 3 months.

Nutrition