White Chicken Lasagna w/ Red Sauce

I used manicotti noodles instead of lasagna in this recipe. This is only because I somehow ended up with three boxes of the things in my pantry. The manicotti also inspired my Cabbage with Pasta dish. Feel free to use lasagna noodles in both dishes, if you'd like to.

Also, there's only two of us here, so I didn't make a full pan of lasagna. I used an oven proof plater instead. If you have a big family, or if you want lots of leftovers to freeze or give to friends, just fill a large baking dish with the same yummy, cheesy layers.



I've broken this recipe down into steps to make it easier to follow. If you don't have a full day to devote to the kitchen, make the sauces a day or two ahead of time.

Step 1 - Make Roasted Red Sauce and White Cream Sauce

Step 2 - Make Cheese Mixture

Step 3 - Cook Zucchini rounds and Noodles

Step 4 - Assemble the Lasagna and bake it


Sauces
Use the links provided to make the sauces. If you make them the day before, warm them up on the stove a bit before layering the lasagna. If you don't preheat them, your dish will take a long time in the oven.



Cheese Mix
Ricotta Cheese - 8oz
Parmesan Cheese - 1/8 cup, freshly grated
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup, grated
Fresh Basil - chiffonade
s/p
Nutmeg - just a bit, freshly greted

Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl and cover and refrigerate till you're ready to assemble the lasagna.



Zucchini
Zucchini - enough to cover one layer in your lasagna, I used 3 small ones sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
EVOO
s/p
Crushed Red Pepper (CRP)
Turkey Pepperoni - cut into little squares, or crumbled after cooking
Mozzarella Cheese - shredded (used in the assembly stage)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss the zucchini with EVOO, s/p, and CRP.

Place in a single layer on a half sheet pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once.

At the same time, place the pepperoni bits on a separate baking sheet and bake till crispy.

Set both aside till ready to assemble.


Noodles
Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling salty water till they're al dente.

Then drain them.

When they are cool enough for you to handle, cut each noodle open to make a flat sheet. (Skip this step if you're using lasagna noodles.)

Set aside till everything else is ready to be put together.


Assembly
1. Cover the bottom of you dish with the red sauce.

2. Place a single layer of noodles on the sauce and cover with mozzarella.



3. Arrange the zucchini rounds over the cheese, also in a single layer.



4. Sprinkle the pepperoni and a little more mozzarella over the zucchini.



5. Top with another layer of noodles.



6. Spread the cheese mixture over the noodles in an smooth layer.



7. Top with more noodles.



8. Spoon the white sauce on and top with another layer of noodles.



9. Cover the top noodles with cheese. (I like the top layer to be a bit crispy. If you prefer a softer top layer, spread some red sauce over the noodles before you cover them with cheese.)



10. Cover with foil and bake till the cheese is melted and the inside is hot and steamy.

11. Uncover and bake a few more minutes, till the top layer is golden brown.



12. Let the lasagna sit for a minute before you cut into it.



13. Enjoy!!!