White Lasagna Recipe

This white lasagna recipe will very quickly become one of your favorite dishes to pull together during the week and keep in your freezer for those nights when you have the craving but not the time to cook.

This white chicken lasagna will also be a great way for you to use up any leftover chicken that you might have which is always a good thing. You are also more than welcome to completely leave out the chicken and just make a very cheesy lasagna! You are also able to add a few of your own vegetables and use fresh spinach instead of frozen so don’t forget to try out different combinations!

This white lasagna will be the perfect recipe for a easy dinner and if you would like to make it even quicker you can definitely use store bought pasta sheets, but if you are feeling adventurous, be sure to give making your own fresh pasta sheets a try!

What is white lasagna?

This white lasagna is a cheesy and delicious twist to a classic lasagna recipe. With layers of lasagna noodles, a homemade white cream sauce, a ricotta cheese mix, frozen/fresh spinach, and shredded chicken, it’s a hearty dinner that is basically the best comfort food around and it freezes very well so it is very handy for those nights when you need a little help with dinner!

• Lasagna Noodles – These homemade lasagna noodles will not need to be boiled before you use them which will definitely save time.

• White sauce – This homemade sauce uses a base of butter and flour that gets combined with milk or cream to make a creamy sauce for your lasagna.

• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper – These add wonderful flavor to your dish and is a must!

• Garlic Powder – For that extra kick of garlic that everyone loves!

• Parmesan Cheese – This sharp cheese is a component of lasagna that is the most loved so be sure to be generous with your portion.

• Frozen Chopped Spinach – This will need to be thawed before using. Set it out on the counter prior to making the lasagna or put it in the fridge overnight and add it to your sauce.

• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – For the best creamy melt, get a block of mozzarella cheese and shred it with a cheese grater. The bagged shredded mozzarella cheese can be used if that’s what you prefer and will work just as good.

• Ricotta Cheese – This cheese will get combined with egg and mozzarella cheese to create a creamy component to your lasagna that is absolutely to die for!

• Cooked Shredded or Chopped Chicken – Use a rotisserie chicken for easy prep or any leftover cooked chicken that you may have.

White lasagna recipe

• 9×13 inch oven proof baking dish

• Cooking time: 30-45 min

• Prep time: 2.5-3 hours

  • 10 min = ricotta cheese mixture

  • 30 min = bechamel sauce

  • 2 hours = pasta (mixing, resting, rolling)

  • 15 min = rest time for lasagna

Lasagna sheets

Ingredients

• 350g white flour

• 350g semolina flour

• 7 eggs

• Olive oil

• Flour for dusting

• Pinch of salt

method

1. Combine and sift the flours.

2. Pour the flour on a clean, flat surface and create a well in the middle.

3. Add in the eggs, a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt in the well.

4. Start combining the eggs with a fork and slowly start incorporating the flour (if you do this process too fast the well will break and the eggs will spill all over your workspace).

5. Once the eggs and flour are properly combined you can start kneading your dough for about 13 min (if the dough still feels too wet, add some extra flour a little at a time until it is no longer sticking to your hands).

6. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and store in the fridge for a few hours.

7. Once the dough is rested divide the dough into 3 pieces.

8. Flatten the pasta slightly and coat it with some flour as well as your pasta machine to ensure that it does not stick.

9. Start at the largest setting and start putting your pasta through until you reach the correct thickness (run the pasta through each setting at least twice). Normally the correct thickness would be at setting 6 but it depends on your machine.

10. Flour your pasta sheets and set them aside under some cling wrap and repeat with your remaining pasta.

11. Cut your sheets to about 9×11 inches, flour and set aside (cover your sheets with cling film or a damp cloth to ensure that they don’t dry out completely).

White sauce

Ingredients

• 500ml milk (warmed to just above room temperature)

• 50g butter

• 50g flour

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 30g frozen spinach, thawed and cut into strips

Method

1. Melt butter over low heat (do not brown the butter, and ensure that it is just melted and not boiling).

2. As soon as it is 90% melted, take the pot off the heat and add flour. Combine the two together with a wooden spoon and put it back on the stove.

3. Cook the flour-butter mixture for a few minutes on low heat while stirring it (it will look like a big lump but it will loosen up later, and ensure that is not too brown).

4. Start adding in the warm milk a little bit at a time and whisk on a medium heat (if the milk is added too quickly lumps will form).

5. Once all the milk has been added and the sauce thickens, add the seasonings and cook for another few minutes on a medium heat until the mixture sticks to the back of a teaspoon.

6. Once thickened, stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 1 cup of the parmesan cheese. Turn the heat down to low and let the sauce simmer while you prepare the spinach.

7. Place the thawed frozen spinach onto a few sheets of paper towels, and squeeze out any excess liquid. Stir the spinach into the sauce and take the pot off the heat.

8. Take off the heat and place a piece of baking paper on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming as it cools down.

Ricotta cheese mixture

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 15 ounces ricotta cheese

• 1 large egg

Method

1. Combine the egg and ricotta and whisk until smooth (some lumps are fine as long as the mixture is combined).

2. Add the mozzarella cheese and fold it in.

3. Cover and keep in the fridge until needed.

Final assembly

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chicken

• Ricotta cheese mixture

• Lasagna sheets

• White sauce

• 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 176 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)

2. Place a few spoons of the white sauce into the baking dish and spread into a thin, even layer. Arrange some of the lasagna noodles in an even layer on top of the sauce, breaking them up if needed to fit (it’s OK if the noodles overlap slightly).

3. Dollop and spread a few spoons of the ricotta mixture over the noodle and layer this with some of the cooked chicken over the ricotta (do not add too much at a time as this will compromise the structure of the lasagna).

4. Sprinkle with some of the mozzarella. Dollop and spread about 1 heaping cup of the béchamel over the mozzarella.

5. Repeat layering with more lasagna noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining chicken and white sauce, mozzarella, and béchamel. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, remaining béchamel sauce, remaining mozzarella, and remaining Parmesan.

6. Bake uncovered until the cheeses are melted and lightly browned, and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Cheese Tip : For the best flavor and smooth melt, buy a block of mozzarella cheese and a wedge of parmesan cheese and use a cheese grater to shred it.

Can I Make Changes To This Recipe? : Yes, there are a few things you can do. You can take out the spinach entirely if you don’t care for spinach and you can add any dried seasonings you prefer to the white sauce such as Italian seasoning, basil, extra garlic powder, and more. Instead of making your own white sauce, you can also 5 use store-bought sauce and add in some more milk/cream and seasonings.

Chicken : Rotisserie chicken is the easiest, quickest way to get cooked chicken that is already seasoned for this lasagna but you can also put 2-3 chicken breasts and a can of chicken broth along with your chosen seasonings into the slow cooker. Cook this mixture on Low heat for 6-7 hours and it will shred easily with two forks. 

Make it Ahead of Time : You can prepare and assemble this white lasagna in the morning and cover it with tin foil, or a lid, and refrigerate until later that night when it’s time to cook it. Allow the lasagna pan to sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before cooking it for best results or you can add a few extra minutes to the cook time.

What Vegetables or Meat Can I Add to White Lasagna?

Just like regular lasagna, you can add different veggies or meats to this white lasagna. We use spinach and chicken in ours, but you can switch the chicken for Italian sausage if you like. The spinach makes the lasagna look nice and adds a bit of freshness to the dish. Adding sausage can make it even tastier because of the extra seasonings and fat.

What to Serve with White Lasagna

This white lasagna is layered with noodles, spinach, meat, and cheese, lasagna is certainly hearty and satisfying on its own but sometimes it’s nice to round out the meal with a simple vegetable side dish or salad, to complement your dinner with something fresh. And when in doubt, remember that you can never go wrong with garlic bread! Here are some suggestions to serve with your meal:

• Simple Arugula Salad

• Caesar Salad with Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs

• Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini

• Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

• Steamed Asparagus

• Cacio e Pepe Broccoli

• Easy Cheesy Garlic Knots

Can I Freeze Lasagna?

Yes, you can freeze this white lasagna. For optimal freshness, only freeze it unbaked as pasta tends to get a weird mushy texture to it once frozen and thawed and with all the cheese and dairy in the sauce, it will sometimes separate and curdle once frozen and thawed. Prepare the lasagna as directed but instead of baking it, cover the pan with plastic wrap and then cover with tin foil. You can freeze it for up to 3 months and let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake once it has stood on the counter and come to room temperature.

This white lasagna will be a family favorite in no time and everyone is sure to put their request often so be sure to keep it interesting and try some of our other recipes such as this delicious seafood lasagna.

It will definitely be something out of the ordinary and has a lot of room for customization so be sure to give it a try and you are sure to love this recipe from the very time that you make it.

Be sure to also check it out our Vegan Lasagna recipe for a dairy free version.