This White Pesto Chicken Skillet Lasagna is a quicker, less-fussy take on the classic dish. Made in less time with less effort, this skillet lasagna is ideal for weeknights or when you’re looking for cozy comfort food without a ton of effort. Made all in one skillet, this lasagna features a pesto white sauce, tender Rotisserie chicken, lasagna noodles, and three kinds of cheeses. The kicker is the crispy garlic breadcrumb topping! It adds so much flavor and a wonderful crunch to an otherwise creamy dish. This is one delicious skillet of food.
Calling all comfort food enthusiasts! This one is for you.
This White Pesto Chicken Skillet Lasagna is everything. Now, lasagna purists are sure to come for me for calling this a lasagna, and even though they would technically be right, it has all the flavors and textures of a lasagna.
The difference? It takes about half the time to make with far less effort. AND it only uses one pan! Gotta love that.
This skillet lasagna features a pesto parmesan béchamel sauce that the noodles slowly cook in, tender Rotisserie chicken, and three types of cheeses.
Dollops of pesto and ricotta cover the surface of this dish — adding a ton of flavor and richness.
Sold yet?
The kicker for me personally is the garlicky breadcrumb topping that gets sprinkled over the final product just before serving.
It is optional but highly recommended. It adds incredible crunch to an otherwise creamy dish. And it only takes a couple minutes to make.
This dish takes about 45 minutes to pull together, and the resulting dish really emulates that lasagna texture and flavor.
Cheesy, hearty, and loaded with pesto cheesy goodness – this one is one I hope you try!
Ingredients You Need to Make This White Pesto Chicken Skillet Lasagna:
For the Pesto Bechamel:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Milk – 2% or whole
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Prepared basil pesto
- Parmesan cheese
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- Olive oil
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic salt
- Dried Italian seasoning
For Assembly:
- Lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
- Shredded, cooked chicken (I use a Rotisserie chicken for this)
- Ricotta cheese
- Prepared basil pesto
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, for serving
How to Make This White Pesto Chicken Skillet Lasagna:
For the Pesto Bechamel:
- In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic, stir to incorporate, and cook for a minute.
- Slowly stream in the milk, whisking the entire time and scraping up any browned flour bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the broth.
- Stirring almost constantly, bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes until it is slightly thickened.
- Stir in the pesto and parmesan and mix to incorporate.
- Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- While the bechamel sauce is cooking, prepare the breadcrumb garnish by heating a small skillet over medium heat and adding the oil.
- Add in the breadcrumbs and seasonings and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.
- Set aside until it is time to serve.
To Assemble:
- To the simmering bechamel sauce, add the shredded chicken and stir to incorporate.
- Add the broken lasagna noodles and stir them into the sauce.
- Keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer (don’t let it come to a full boil), cook the noodles until they are mostly tender, about 10-15 minutes. During this time, if the sauce starts to get too thick or the noodles look dry, add another few tablespoons of milk or broth.
- Once the noodles are tender, dollop the ricotta and the pesto evenly over the top of the noodle and chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle over the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, watching it closely the whole time, or until the cheeses are melted on top and lightly golden brown in spots. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
To Serve:
- Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs over the top of the lasagna. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Other Lasagna Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- One-Skillet Squash & Sage Lasagna
- Turkey & Greens Lasagna Rolls
- Cheesy Short Rib Lasagna
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
- Butternut Squash, Sage, & Goat Cheese Lasagna
While the lasagna purists will probably hate a dish like this being called lasagna, I’m sticking with it.
It’s so delicious, I don’t care.
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White Pesto Chicken Skillet Lasagna
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This White Pesto Chicken Skillet Lasagna is a quicker, less-fussy take on the classic dish. Made in less time with less effort, this skillet lasagna is ideal for weeknights or when you’re looking for cozy comfort food without a ton of effort. Made all in one skillet, this lasagna features a pesto white sauce, tender Rotisserie chicken, lasagna noodles, and three kinds of cheeses. The kicker is the crispy garlic breadcrumb topping! It adds so much flavor and a wonderful crunch to an otherwise creamy dish! This is one delicious skillet of food.
Ingredients
For the Pesto Bechamel:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (I use 2%)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
For Assembly:
- 8 oz lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (I use a Rotisserie chicken for this)
- 6 oz ricotta (roughly 3/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
For the Pesto Bechamel:
- In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic, stir to incorporate, and cook for a minute.
- Slowly stream in the milk, whisking the entire time and scraping up any browned flour bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the broth.
- Stirring almost constantly, bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes until it is slightly thickened.
- Stir in the pesto and parmesan and mix to incorporate.
- Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- While the bechamel sauce is cooking, prepare the breadcrumb garnish by heating a small skillet over medium heat and adding the oil.
- Add in the breadcrumbs and seasonings and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.
- Set aside until it is time to serve.
To Assemble:
- To the simmering bechamel sauce, add the shredded chicken and stir to incorporate.
- Add the broken lasagna noodles and stir them into the sauce.
- Keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer (don’t let it come to a full boil), cook the noodles until they are mostly tender, about 10-15 minutes. During this time, if the sauce starts to get too thick or the noodles look dry, add another few tablespoons of milk or broth.
- Once the noodles are tender, dollop the ricotta and the pesto evenly over the top of the noodle and chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle over the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, watching it closely the whole time, or until the cheeses are melted and lightly golden brown in spots.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
To Serve:
Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs over the top of the lasagna. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
The breadcrumb topping here is completely optional but highly recommended. It adds a nice crunchy texture to an otherwise creamy dish. It takes this lasagna up several notches!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: lasagna
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
a very creative lasagna alternative, love pesto too, thank you!
I made as directed, a double batch, but did need additional water as the pasta cooked. The chicken become quite macerated and tended to stick to the bottom of the pan and made it difficult to stir the noodles. I made it again 3 days later and waited to add the chicken after the noodles were nearly done. Much better results. Definitely needed to add about 3/4 cup extra water for a double batch. Delicious meal.
I made this last night and not only was it a lot easier than I was expecting but it tastes phenomenal. Love the pesto and chicken here. Will make again and again! Thank you for a great recipe