by: Emmanuel Duverneau
Cook Time
1 hours 15 minutes
Prep Time
1 hours
Yield
8 servings
Total Time
1 hours 15 minutes
Prep Time
1 hours
Yield
8 servings
summary
Springtime brings warmer weather and fresh vegetables. This spring lasagna recipe embodies the season with a variety of vegetables such as asparagus and carrots. It also has a delicious and refreshing lemon ricotta made with fresh basil and parsley. It’s covered in a white creamy sauce and layered with chicken rather than the traditional tomato sauce with beef. This dish is still hearty and cheesy, but has a lighter feel to it to match the spring season.
ingredients
- Pasta Ingredients
- 1 box (9 ounces) lasagna noodles
- Lemon Ricotta Ingredients
- 1 pound ricotta
- Zest from half a lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup basil, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegetable Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 cup diced asparagus
- 1 cup snap peas, removed from the pod
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chicken Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ pounds ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- White Sauce Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cheese Layer Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Add all lemon ricotta ingredients to a large bowl and mix well until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Once melted, add carrots and cook for 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Add remaining vegetables and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and ground chicken. Cook, breaking the chicken into small pieces. As the chicken starts to brown, add all the seasonings and saute until fully cooked. Add to vegetables, mix, and set aside.
- Add butter and garlic to a saucepan. Mix until fragrant. Add flour and stir constantly for 2–3 minutes, making sure the flour doesn’t burn. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Then simmer, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large baking dish, add a layer of white sauce. Then add a layer of noodles, white sauce, chicken and vegetables, lemon ricotta, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat this process until you have 3 layers of noodles. Top with white sauce and remaining cheese.
- Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Turn the oven broiler on and broil uncovered for 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
