Chicken, Butternut Squash and Pesto Lasagne – just 14sp

This little number (an adaptation of a recipe I came across on the Good Food website here) was cooked up at the special request of my lovely little sister who fancied a new chicken pasta dish. I really fancied trying something new and after a bit a research came across this little treat. I cooked it up last night and it was absolutely delicious and so different from anything else I’ve tasted so, Michelle, enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 14sp (previously 14pp) each

For the pasta sauce

2 x 165g chicken breasts, seasoned well

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

600ml chicken stock (made with 1 chicken stock cube)

½ tablespoon plain flour

140g ricotta cheese (low fat if you can find it)

1 ½ tablespoon green pesto

½ teaspoon of crushed chillis

Handful of shredded basil leaves

Handful of shredded spinach

A little grated nutmeg

To build the lasagne

1 butternut squash cut into chunks

4 sheets of lasagne

30g parmesan

Splash of skimmed milk

Mixed Salad leaves

Balsamic/White wine vinegar

Method

Pre heat your oven to 180 Celsius.

Pop your finely chopped onion into a non-stick sauce pan and fry for around five minutes in 1kal until nice and soft. Then add your garlic and cook for another minute. Push the onions to one side, spray the bottom of the pan with 1kal and pop in your seasoned chicken. Fry your chicken for a few minutes on both sides then add ½ tablespoon of plain flour to the onions, season, and stir in. Then pour your chicken stock over the top, stir and let your chicken simmer in it for around 10 minutes (or until cooked through).

At this point pop your peeled and cubed butternut squash into a large bowl, cover with 2 tablespoons of water and cover with cling film. Pop in the microwave on a high heat for 12-15 minutes (until its really soft. If you have time you could roast it for extra flavour but that’s a bit of a faff!). Once cooked add a good grating of nutmeg, a sprinkle of paprika and season with salt and pepper and then mash until nice and smooth (you can leave it chunky if you like but I like it smooth!). Pop to one side.

Once cooked, lift your chicken out the stock, shred with two forks and pop back into the stock. To this add 100g of ricotta, the pesto, crushed chillies and seasoning. Stir and bubble for a minute or two to let the sauce thicken then add your spinach and basil. Add this point you will have the most amazing pasta sauce which can be added to penne, fusilli or spaghetti if you don’t have time to fiddle on with the whole lasagne. The sauce up to this point would be just 7sp.

To make it into the complete lasagne take 2 individual lasagne dishes (or one large one) and add a layer of the chicken sauce mix on the bottom. Top with a lasagne sheet. Then add your layer of butternut squash, half the parmesan and another layer of the chicken mix. Top with another sheet of lasagne.

At this point mix your remaining ricotta with enough milk to make it the consistency of cheese sauce. Add a good grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper and then spread over your top lasagne sheet. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan. Pop your lasagnes in the oven to bake for between 30-40 minutes so the top goes nice and golden.

Serve with some mixed salad leaves and a splash of balsamic or red wine vinegar.

Enjoy!