Creamy Pesto Chicken Lasagna with Béchamel
Pesto Chicken Lasagna with Béchamel is a creamy, baked pasta layered with basil pesto, chicken, silky white sauce, and melted mozzarella. Using béchamel instead of ricotta keeps the layers smooth, rich, and easy to slice, giving you all the comfort of lasagna with a brighter, fresher pesto flavor.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 587.14kcal
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Baking dish or casserole dish
Ingredients
Pesto Sauce
- 3 cups fresh basil
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- salt and black pepper to taste
Bechamel Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and black pepper to taste
Lasagna Assembly
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- 1 pack lasagna noodles traditional or oven-ready
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Make the pesto by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.3 cups fresh basil, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup lemon juice, 2-3 cloves garlic, salt and black pepper
- Reserve ¼ cup of pesto for the baking dish. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the remaining pesto until fully coated.3 cups cooked chicken
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Slowly pour in the milk while continuing to whisking. Simmer, whisking regularly, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.3 cups whole milk
- Remove from the heat. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and parmesan. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and the cheese is melted.salt and black pepper, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook according to package instructions. If you're using no-boil noodles, skip this step.1 pack lasagna noodles
Lasagna Assembly
- Spread the reserved ¼ cup of pesto on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Lay noodles, followed by a layer of the pesto-chicken mixture, then a layer of béchamel.
- Continue layering until ingredients are used or you run out of noodles.
- Layer the top noodles with the last of the bechamel sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella (and extra parmesan if desired).½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let the lasagna rest for 30 minutes, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For the best texture, mix the pesto with the chicken before assembling so the oil stays evenly distributed as it bakes.
- Simmer the béchamel until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Keep the noodles fully covered with sauce, especially around the edges, to prevent crunchy spots.
- Let the lasagna rest after baking so the layers can set and slice cleanly.
- If using store-bought pesto, taste it first and adjust the salt or lemon amounts if needed for a bolder basil flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 587.14kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.1g | Protein: 28.09g | Fat: 29.8g | Saturated Fat: 10.26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.98g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14.31g | Trans Fat: 0.23g | Cholesterol: 75.19mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 445.57mg | Fiber: 2.13g | Sugar: 6.49g | Vitamin A: 916.68IU | Vitamin C: 7.76mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 2.01mg
