“My daughter Ella loves white sauce with pasta. Besides chicken, it’s her favorite way to top pizza and pasta. This recipe was an experiment in combining her two favorite toppings in a classic lasagna—and I love the way it turned out.” — Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 3
Ingredients
Cooking spray
16 lasagna noodles (approximately 1½ pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 6 pieces
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles until a bit firmer than al dente. Drain, then toss with the olive oil so they do not stick together.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the cream and milk and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Add 1 cup of the Parmesan, the pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth, another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Spread ½ cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Arrange four noodles on top of the sauce. Top the noodles with 1 cup of the spinach, ½ cup of the shredded chicken, 1½ cups of the sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Repeat three more times to create a total of four layers starting with the noodles and ending with Parmesan.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned and bubbly, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Serve garnished with fresh chives or parsley (if using).
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.