Rich Chicken And Squash Lasagna Recipes

LIGHT CHICKEN AND SQUASH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and upper third. Divide squash between two rimmed baking sheets. Toss each with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 minutes, stirring squash and rotating sheets halfway through. Let sheets cool on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4 minutes. Add cayenne, basil, and marjoram and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl.
• Spread 1 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles. Layer with half the chicken, then 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Top with 2 more noodles, half the squash, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, reserving the last 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover lasagna loosely with foil and bake on top rack until sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. (Place a rimmed baking sheet on middle rack to catch any drippings.) Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing.

CHICKEN, SQUASH & PESTO LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a few mins more. Push the onions and garlic to the edge of the pan, add the chicken breasts and cook for a few mins each side to brown. Sprinkle over the flour and stir it into the onion mixture. Tip in the stock and season. Cover and simmer for 10 mins - or until the chicken is cooked through. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Add half the mascarpone and the pesto, stirring until the mascarpone has melted into the sauce, bubble for a few mins to thicken a little, then remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
• Meanwhile, place the squash in a large bowl with 2tbsp of water, cover with cling film and microwave on High for 12-15 mins, until really soft. Season the squash with a little of the nutmeg and some salt and pepper, and mash lightly with a fork.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spoon half the chicken mixture into the bottom of a 20 x 30cm ovenproof dish. Cover with 4 lasagne sheets, then the butternut squash and half the Parmesan. Top with another 4 lasagne sheets, the remaining chicken mixture, then a final layer of lasagne. Mix enough milk into the remaining mascarpone to make a smooth sauce - you need to aim for a consistency similar to white sauce. Season with remaining nutmeg, salt and pepper, then pour over the lasagne. Scatter over the remaining Parmesan and the pine nuts. Bake for 40 mins until piping hot in the centre and crunchy and golden on top. Scatter with a few extra basil leaves before serving.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CHICKEN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and any visible strings. Place the two halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 45 minutes.
• In the meantime, coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the kale and chicken and cook down, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and the cooked kale mixture. Stir until well combined and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, then spread half of the cooked spaghetti squash on top. Top with half of the ricotta mixture followed by 1 cup of marinara sauce. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a layer of sauce; sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake until it is hot and the cheese is melted, bubbling and slightly browned around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then top with basil, if using, and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.
• Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.
• Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
• Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
• Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

ACORN SQUASH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix squash puree with sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Lay 2 lasagna noodles in the bottom of prepared dish; spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles, and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and mixtures. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Cover baking dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.

CHICKEN LASAGNA WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, mushrooms, onion, 1/2 of the minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in spinach; set aside.
• While chicken is cooking, bring 2 large pots of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water in one pot, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. Drop spinach into the boiling water in the second pot and blanch for 1 minute; pour into a colander to drain.
• Combine cream, half-and-half, remaining garlic, onion powder, sage, and bay leaf in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power in 1-minute increments until boiling; stir well.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 12x15-inch piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray.
• Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue stirring and add cream mixture. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese and 3 cups mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl. Fold in 1/4 cup of the cream sauce.
• Assemble lasagna in a deep 9x13-inch baking dish as follows, spreading ingredients in each layer: 1/2 cup cream sauce, 1/3 of the chicken-spinach mixture, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 cup cream sauce, 1/3 of the chicken-spinach mixture, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup cream sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 cup cream sauce, remaining chicken-spinach mixture, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining noodles, remaining cream sauce, remaining Parmesan, and remaining mozzarella. Cover with the aluminum foil, sprayed-side down.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top starts to turn golden, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

CARAMELISED SQUASH & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash and garlic into a large roasting tin or dish (you can use the same one to assemble the lasagne to save on washing-up - ours was 35 x 40cm and 5cm deep). Tear over 4-5 sage leaves, drizzle with the oil and season well, then toss to coat. Roast for 40-50 mins, moving the squash around once or twice, until soft and caramelised. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and mash with the squash, leaving a few chunky bits for texture.
• Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and stir in the flour to make a sandy paste. Splash a little milk into the pan, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Keep adding more milk, a little at a time, until the paste thins to a smooth, creamy sauce and the milk has all been used. Simmer for 1 min more. Stir in the mascarpone and half the parmesan. Season well and grate in a generous amount of nutmeg.
• Tip the spinach into a colander and pour over a kettleful of boiling water to wilt (do this in batches). Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the spinach over the colander to remove the water, then season and roughly chop.
• Remove half of the crushed garlicky squash from the roasting tin and set aside on a plate. Spread the remaining squash out over the base of the tin or dish you intend to serve the lasagne in. Ladle over about a quarter of the sauce, then top with a single layer of lasagne sheets, snapping them to fill any gaps. Make an even layer of spinach on top of the pasta, and top with another quarter of the sauce, more pasta, squash, sauce, pasta and finally the remaining white sauce.
• Scatter over the remaining parmesan, the mozzarella and pine nuts. If the oven is off, heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook the lasagne for 30 mins. Rub a little extra oil over 5 or 6 sage leaves, place them on top of the lasagne and return to the oven for another 15-20 mins until golden and bubbling. Leave to cool for 5 mins before serving.