Cook the Noodles and make the cheese mixture – While you are making the sauce bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Then drain them well. Now in a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan Cheese, mozzarella, and Italian seasoning.
Assemble the lasagna – Now, to assemble the lasagna, spoon a little sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. Then, layer 4 noodles, overlapping them slightly. Spoon a little sauce over the noodles. Top with half the cut cooked chicken and half the cheese mixture. Now repeat, adding four more noodles, 1/3 of the sauce mixture, the remaining chicken, and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the remaining noodles, remaining sauce mixture, and about a cup of shredded mozzarella.
Bake the lasagna – Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips
This recipe can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. 30-40 minutes prior to cooking, remove from the refrigerator to warm. Remove the plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil before baking.
You can use fresh or frozen spinach. If using frozen spinach, squeeze as much of the moisture out as possible. This step is important to keep the sauce from being watered down.
Try adding a variety of veggies like broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, or tomatoes.
Shred or grate your own cheese. Prepackaged shredded and grated cheeses contain anticaking agents that prevent the cheese from melting easily.
A lasagna must rest for 15-20 minutes so that it is easy to cut and serve without the layers separating from each other.
Rotisserie chicken is a great choice for this recipe. They are available at most grocery stores. They are always delicious and relatively inexpensive.
Should lasagna be 3 or 4 layers?
Either way is correct and acceptable as far as lasagna etiquette. However, keep in mind that 3 layers should be the minimum amount. If the pan is deep or the number of people you are feeding is large, then 5 layers might be needed.
