Coastal Mains
Chicken and Veggie Lasagna
The Strategy:
This lasagna completely reimagines the traditional red-sauce classic by layering fresh pasta sheets with tender shredded chicken, deeply roasted mushrooms, and bright broccoli rabe, all bound together by a luxurious goat cheese béchamel. The substitution of a sharply tangy goat cheese sauce in place of standard marinara perfectly cuts through the richness of the ricotta and mozzarella, creating an incredibly elegant, cohesive bite. Taking the time to properly blanch and shock the broccoli rabe ensures it retains its vibrant color and crisp texture against the melting layers of pasta and cheese.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick
- 1 large white onion, peeled and diced, about 1 ½ cups
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
- 1 quart milk
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch (5 to 6) green onions, tough tops removed, cut into thin slices, about 1 cup
- 1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced, about 3 cups
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, chopped, about 4 cups
- 12 lasagna noodles, fresh is best here!
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese, about 2 cups
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, grated, about 2 cups
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1 cup
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Cook the onion in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour and herbs de Provence.
- Slowly stir in the milk.
- Whisk until the mixture thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the goat cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the green onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown.
- Season with fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Fill a bowl with ice and cold water to make an ice bath.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Use a colander to drain the broccoli.
- If you are not using fresh pasta sheets, add the lasagna noodles to boiling salted water (you can use the same water that held the broccoli). Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil spray.
- Stir together the ricotta cheese and egg in a bowl.
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Ladle some of the cheese sauce into the bottom of a lasagna pan or an 11 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
- Add a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Cover with a layer of sauce.
- Add ½ of the broccoli and ½ of the chicken to the sauce layer.
- Spoon half of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1/3 of the mozzarella on top.
- Add another layer of noodles to the casserole.
- Top with a ladle of cheese sauce.
- Spread all the mushrooms over this layer.
- Sprinkle with ½ of the Parmesan cheese and another 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the last layer of lasagna noodles into the casserole.
- Top with broccoli, cheese sauce, mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. (A quick recap from bottom to top: Sauce, noodles, sauce, broccoli, chicken, ricotta, mozzarella. Second layer of noodles, sauce, mushrooms, Parm, and mozzarella. Last layer of noodles, broccoli, sauce, mozzarella, and Parm. But guess what? This is your lasagna, so layer it any darn way you want to! It does help to start and finish with sauce.)
- Bake until the top of the casserole is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Allow the casserole to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Thing to Note:
Thing to Note:
Things to Note
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Leftovers: This is the perfect recipe when you have leftover chicken. You can substitute with any veggies and switch out the goat cheese for your favorite cheese. It will be a crowd pleaser no matter what.
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Speed it up: You can substitute with no-boil lasagna noodles to make this dish come together even faster than fast!
The full recipe lives in the Vault
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The Heart of the Table
Serving a scratch-made, multi-layered lasagna is a profound act of hospitality. Pulling a massive, bubbling, golden-crusted dish from the oven immediately anchors the room, offering an undeniably rustic, luxurious comfort that guarantees your guests will linger at the table long after the meal is over.
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Do not attempt to cut this immediately. Allow the massive, bubbling ceramic baking dish to rest in the center of the table for a full 15 minutes so the intricate layers set perfectly. Serve massive, distinct squares that showcase the gorgeous strata of vibrant green broccoli rabe, golden chicken, and flowing white béchamel.
- THE POUR: The rich goat cheese béchamel and the earthy mushrooms demand a wine with both structural acidity and rustic depth. A slightly chilled, light-bodied Pinot Noir or an earthy, elegant Barbera perfectly complements the mushrooms without overpowering the delicate chicken.
- THE VIBE: Rowdy, sprawling, and deeply comforting. This is the meal you prepare when the entire extended family descends upon the house, the wine bottles are endlessly uncorked, and the evening requires zero pretense.
