Chicken Pesto Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

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Ingredients

• Pesto, (fresh or Butoni in fridge section is decent)
• Béchamel, recipe follows
• Butter, for baking dish, plus more for topping
• No boil lasagna noodles
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese / Mozzarella cheese
• Chicken (used tenders)
• Garlic

 
 
 

Béchamel:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Béchamel:
Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon.
Note: Stir Constantly for about 15-20 minutes until light brown.

In separate bowl, Warm the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. If too thick add more milk

Cook Chicken with butter and garlic in skillet, when starting to get done, tear into bite size pieces with fork. When just done, add a little pesto and a little sauce. 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9 baking dish and add a thin layer of béchamel. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, and then another thin layer of béchamel. Spread about 6 tablespoons of pesto across the surface, add layer of chicken, and then top with about 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat until you finish layering the lasagna. Top with a final layer of noodles and spread a final very thin layer béchamel, pesto, Mozzerela, Parmesan cheese and a little butter to help the cheese crisp-up when cooked in the oven.

Cook for about 30 minutes. Serve dressed with some Parmesan and a drop of extra-virgin olive oil.

I sliced some red bell pepper and roasted in oven with garlic and butter that went well with it. You could probably red pepper in with the chicken. That was my original plan.

I make a quick version using frozen cheese ravioli and a jar of Alfredo sauce.