Whole Wheat Chicken and Parmesan Lasagna.
I have a secret. Up until a few weeks ago, I would have never even considered making lasagna.
But then I found these.
Whole wheat, no boil noodles.
I picked them up and immediately was on a mission.
See, lasagna is way down at the bottom of the list for both Mr. How Sweet and me. He claims to hate ricotta cheese (although contrary to what he believes, he has eaten it plenty of times), and I am not much of a tomato sauce fan. Lasagna just isn’t on our side.
But I knew if I could make it with chicken (for him) and mushrooms (for me) and tons of cheese (mainly for me), but not ricotta (for him) and a light layer of tomato sauce (for me… again) and these neat whole wheat noodles that I picked up… we may love it.
Enter ricotta-less lasagna!
It was quite easy to assemble and didn’t take very long at all.
I usually have some shredded chicken on hand because, well… Mr. How Sweet might die if I didn’t. It comes in handy at times like these.
I topped the lasagna with some fresh basil and it was a total hit. I even loved it, which I didn’t think was a possibility. Â The whole wheat noodles are definitely chewier than traditional lasagna noodles, but that is usually why I choose whole wheat pasta over non-whole wheat. I crave the chewiness. And lots of cheese.
Lots of cheese. Obviously.
Chicken, Mushroom and Parmesan Lasagna
Ingredients
- 6-8 no boil, whole wheat lasagna noodles
- 6 ounces cooked, shredded boneless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped
- 4 cups raw spinach
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Fold in cooked, shredded chicken, turn off heat and mix in 1/4 cup of each cheese.
- Spray a nonstick baking dish with nonstick spray (I used a 9 x 6 baking dish). Lay two lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish (it’s okay if they overlap), then layer some of the chicken mixture on top. Spoon some tomato sauce on next, then sprinkle on some of each cheese – add as much or as little sauce and cheese as you’d like. Add two mote lasagna noodles on top and repeat the entire process until you reach the top. I was able to get four layers, but it just depends on your baking dish size. Once you get to the top, add shredded cheese to finish it off.
- Set baking dish on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve with fresh basil for garnish.
Did you make this recipe?
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! There’s a little bit of green up there.
113 Comments on “Whole Wheat Chicken and Parmesan Lasagna.”
I now really want some lasagna :-)
My grandmother ALWAYS made her lasagna with cottage cheese instead of ricotta. People still pine for that lasagna, but I prefer ricotta :)
The Barefoot Contessa on Food Network has a sauteed mushroom and beschamel sauce lasagna you might like (no tomato sauce and maybe adding bacon would make it better :) ). I tried it with the no boil noodles and you just have to remember to coat the entire noodle with the sauce. I didn’t and some parts of the noodle came out crunchy.
That recipe sounds delicious. I’ll have to look it up!
I just made my first crockpot lasagna a few weeks ago and it was nothing short of amazing. No need for no-bake noodles and you just throw everything in and 4 hours laters, heaavenn…
I too loathe Ricotta – anytime a recipe calls for it, I substitute cottage cheese. I don’t know lasagna any other way!
Yum, yum! I make an alfredo lasagna that you and Mr. How Sweet might just love…lotsa chicken, no tomato sauce, and no ricotta! Win!
That sounds sooo good!
I absolutely LOVE ricotta. That being said, I never liked it in lasagna. My big fat Italian family comes from southern Italy, where the lasagna is loaded with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Ricotta should be reserved for pies and cannolis.
You don’t like lasagna?! I thought everyone loved lasagna. I love your spin on the classic.
This looks absolutely amazing! Definitely need to make it one of these nights. I usually make something similar with a white sauce chicken and spinach lasagna, never thought of adding mushrooms (I don’t know why I never thought of that—seeing as they are pretty much my favorite.) I recently have discovered your blog, and have basically become obsessed and love your meal recipes (have bookmarked quite a few for dinner ideas), and all your sweet treats.
I love, love, love the color of that pan. I’m a fan of creamy sauce-based lasagnas myself. Much more my flavor profile.
Oohh, this looks good!!!! I need to find those noodles now!
This looks epic. Haha, and the green garnish makes it all perfect for Saint Pat’s! WUUUUV it!
Omgshhh if you put tomatoey sauces in front of me, I drink them or slurp them up. :P what an irony! out of all people, I thought YOU would be the #1 lover of lasagna~ teeheee but this still looks yummy~~~it’s healthier too.
So much better than the mushy stodgy lasagnes I’ve had in my life!
I don’t like lasagna, I dont like baked ziti.
I like pasta
I like sauce
i like ricotta (somewhat)
But the combination all mixed up. blech.
I did have ONE lasagna that i LOVED. a butternut squash lasagna.. oh.my.gosh. best thing ever it was sooooo good. It had a great white sauce. I cant even explain
One of my roommates in college just looooved to cook and made butternut squash lasagna. It was so amazing! I made her give me the recipe but still to this day haven’t attempted it.
This lasagna looks awesome! I happen to love both ricotta and sauce… but I’m so excited to learrn about whole wheat no boil noodles!
GAH!! Now, that’s a spin on lasagna!
My grandfather also hates ricotta cheese so my grandmother just always made it without. As a little kid my parents would always take me to my grandparents house once a week and we’d all have dinner together. I always loved my grandmother’s lasagna, but there was always something not quite right when my own mom or my other grandmother made it – they used ricotta. It wasn’t until years later I found out – I don’t hate ricotta cheese, but I do prefer my lasagna without.
Have never had it with chicken and mushrooms, though – will have to try this out for sure!
Gorgeous lasagna!!!!
I never use ricotta (although I like it), but I always use cottage cheese, and a mixture of shredded Italian cheeses. Mr. How Sweet probably hates ricotta because it tastes like NOTHING – it is kind of creepy actually :-)
Hahaha!
Where did you get that pan? I need one that size, stat! :)
Even if you aren’t a fan of ricotta – you have to try the recipe for Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies on Tasty Kitchen! Three types of chocolate chips! Seriously yummy!
(you can use the fat-free version of ricotta too – they are super moist!)
At Sur La Table!
This was freaking amazing! I have tried many, many different lasagnas. My husband, daughter and I all agree that this was the best one we have had in forever. When I read it this morning I knew I had to make it tonight. Like you, we are not big fans of to much tomato sauce. You are by far my fave food blog and I read many!
I am so glad that you guys enjoyed it!
As a veggie, I’m digging the spinach and mushrooms -tho I do like ricotta :) what deters me from lasagne is the pasta -always white -even spinach green!- available, but never whole wheat, which is the only pasta I actually enjoy: more taste and a far better bite, I say. But the whole tone of this post has really got me wondering just what constitutes a typical lasagne in America? Only here in Britain its always been tradition for white sauce, not ricotta. In fact, “Dolmio White Sauce for Lasagne” jars are one of my public enemies -i mean come on, how hard is a bechamel?
But yeah, we don’t have ricotta -its only recently crept in a bit. Funny that.
That looks utterly delicious. And what is a lasagna without a ton of cheese??? The Hubble hates ricotta and cottage cheese so I never get lasagna either. How on Earth did a foodie like me marry a picky eater like him?!?!?
This looks really yummy and healthier than normal! Where did you get the baking dish from? Its so pretty! Great serving piece!
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I just made this for my fiance to find when he comes home from work and it is delicious! I started to make the filling and then realized I didn’t have any chicken, so it accidentally became vegetarian but I don’t think he will miss the chicken at all!
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I might make this. Maybe I will add more chicken to sub out the mushrooms? MAybe I will add ricotta. I don’t know, but I need to make this.