Name: White Chicken Skillet Lasagna with Basil Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 500g / 1 lbs chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces ); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 190g / 3/4 cup jared or homemade basil pesto; 500ml / 2 cups chicken stock; 125g / 1/2 cup single / heavy cream; 50g / 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; 100g / 3¼ cups spinach; 8-9 lasagna sheets; 250g / 8 oz fresh mozzarella balls (sliced); 3 tbsp grated Parmesan; 2-3 basil leaves

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White chicken skillet lasagna with basil pesto is a lasagna recipe gone rogue. Laughing in the face of traditional lasagna recipes and making kitchen life easier for homecooks everywhere it’s ready in around 30 minutes, uses mostly store-cupboard staples, is prepared and cooked in one pan only, and contains the forever family favourite: chicken breast. No beef, no tomato, no fussy layers. What a hero.

Creamy chicken pasta recipes are weeknight-cooking saviours. Quick and easy, tasty and satisfying, what more can you ask for? Add these dishes to your comfort food repertoire: chicken marsala fettucine and chicken and bacon pasta.

Top down shot of white chicken skillet lasagna in a pan topped with melted cheese and fresh basil

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Skillet chicken lasagna

Traditional lasagna recipes have a reputation for being time-consuming, complicated, and requiring multiple ingredients. Not to mention washing up! It’s true, they are a labour of love and usually mean an afternoon in the kitchen. But I love that about lasagna!

Not everyone does so this skillet lasagna is a shameless cheat’s version that is rewriting the rule book. Let’s look at the cuts:

Time-consuming? This easy lasagna recipe makes a mockery of classic lasagna’s all-in 4.5 hours kitchen time with a puny 30 minutes!

Complicated? While a typical layered lasagna is a soffritto based-Bolognese sauce and a labour-intensive béchamel (that’s two pans and a lot of stirring!), skillet chicken lasagna is combining ready-made pesto, chicken stock and cream.

Multiple ingredients? This simplified lasagna halves a traditional lasagna’s ingredient list. It centres on chicken breast, garlic and basil pesto rather than a convoluted beefy Bolognese and relies on an easy cream and cheese mix in place of béchamel. I’ve added spinach and basil leaves into the mix for some colour too, and then of course the deconstructed lasagna sheets.

Washing up? The clue is in the name. The whole meal is prepared in your trusty skillet only. Is that actually the best part??! It is for whoever is doing the dishes.

OK, so the two types of lasagna are worlds apart really and only have lasagna sheets in common. So, it’s not exactly a fair fight. But if you’re looking for a quick-fix, no fuss, beef-free pasta dish, white chicken lasagna- to the rescue!

Close up shot of white chicken sauce and melted cheese from skillet lasagna

Recipe tips and notes

You might have guessed by now that although there are lasagna sheets present, it’s not an exact lasagna substitute. It’s quicker to put together but just as satisfying as any traditionally layered white chicken lasagna or beef lasagna.
Basil pesto is the key to big flavour impact in no time at all and adds a smooth texture. Cut another corner by using shop-bought or go homemade with this basil pesto recipe.
While classic American lasagna recipes feature ricotta, I’ve left it out. With two types of cheese and a good dose of cream, for me, added ricotta is unnecessary.
Feel free to add it if you can never-have-enough-cheese. Daub some over the top of the lasagna before adding the mozzarella.
Your skillet lasagna might look a bit wet and soupy on taking it out of the oven, just let it stand for 10 minutes before serving and the pasta will soak that excess liquid right up.
I finished my lasagna under the broiler to get that irresistible cheese-pull and those crispy just-burnt edges.
If the oven is one stage in the process too far for you, keep the skillet on the stove top and cover it with a lid to allow the mozzarella topping to melt. Make sure that cheese is sliced thinly!

process shots of chicken breasts and pesto cooking in a pan before lasagna sheets and fresh pesto are added

Serving suggestions

As you’re at the stove and will have the oven fired up, there’s loads of options for sides.

On the stove top, I’d go for lemon butter green beans. I love how the citrus complements the cream and tangy parmesan cheese in the main dish, and it brings bonus crunch. Pan-fried zucchini with basil and pecorino will use up any leftover basil leaves. Or pan-fried garlic mushrooms because I can barely serve a chicken breast recipe without a mushroom somewhere.

In the oven, I’d choose roasted broccoli with sun-dried tomatoes. It’s an extra dose of Parmesan, crispy broccoli florets and sweet and chewy tomatoes. Or roasted summer vegetable salad with nuts and seeds to bring colour to the table and texture to the plate.

And if there’s one thing any lasagna can agree on, it’s garlic bread!

Storage and leftovers

You might have frozen leftover lasagna before and it’s turned out beautifully. However, this pared back, easy lasagna recipe is made with cream rather than béchamel so it is not friends with the freezer. Fyi, frozen and thawed cream becomes grainy in texture and is not appetizing.

You can keep any post-meal leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat covered in the oven, or microwave.

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