Chicken, Butternut Squash and Pesto Lasagne

This twist on a traditional lasagne, with the combination of chicken, pesto and butternut squash, is so tasty, and such a nice change from the usual. I often make this using left over roast chicken from our Sunday dinner but if you don’t have left over chicken, alternatively you can poach 600g of chicken in chicken stock for 15 minutes until cooked through and then shred, adding as normal to the recipe at step 4. If you have time, you could also roast the butternut squash (instead of cooking in the microwave) for a little extra flavour but there’s no need for the hassle if you don’t!

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POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 2 – per serving = 10 points or 448 cals, 42.4g fat, 13.2g carbs, 39.9g protein

Ingredients

For the filling

500g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks

Small grating of nutmeg

1/2 tsp paprika

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

20g plain flour

1 chicken stock cube made up with 500ml boiling water

400g roasted chicken breast, shredded

250g ricotta cheese

2 tablespoon green pesto

½ teaspoon of chilli flakes

100g spinach, shredded

15g fresh basil leaves, shredded

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

To build the lasagne

300g fresh lasagne sheets (6 sheets)

Splash of skimmed milk

Grating of nutmeg

30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

100g salad leaves

1 tbsp balsamic or white wine vinegar

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan).
  2. Start by adding the butternut squash to a large microwaveable bowl, add 50ml water and then cover with cling film. Pop in the microwave on a high heat for 15 minutes until soft. Once cooked, drain any excess water then add the nutmeg and paprika, season with salt and pepper, and mash until smooth. Pop to one side.
  3. Meanwhile, add the onion to a non-stick saucepan, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and fry for 5 minutes until soft, adding a little water if the pan gets dry. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the flour and cook for another minute.
  4. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Once the stock starts to thicken, add the roasted chicken, 50g of the ricotta cheese, pesto, chilli flakes and seasoning. Stir and bubble for a minute or two to let the sauce thicken, then add the spinach and basil. Simmer on a medium/high heat until the sauce has reduced a little and the spinach has wilted into it.
  5. Now you are ready to build the lasagne. Take a large lasagne dish and add half the chicken sauce to the bottom. Top with two lasagne sheets, then add the butternut squash. Top with two more sheets of lasagne, then the other half of the chicken sauce then the last two sheets of lasagne.
  6. Mix the remaining 200g of ricotta cheese with enough milk to make it the consistency of cheese sauce. Add a grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper, and then spread over the top lasagne sheets, making sure they are well covered. Sprinkle over the Parmesan.
  7. Pop in the oven for 30 minutes until the top is nice and golden. Keep an eye to make sure the top doesn’t burn or dry out.
  8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  9. Serve with a little salad dressed with your chosen vinegar.


8 thoughts on “Chicken, Butternut Squash and Pesto Lasagne”

  • is it 14sp for the whole thing?

  • sarah moore says:

    This sounds absolutely delicious and I shall be trying it very soon. Do you know if it freezes well?

    • I’ve not tried to freeze this one Sarah but I can’t see why not! X

  • Charlotte says:

    Delicious! A really big portion, maybe our BNS was too big? Not complaining though, husband really enjoyed it too. Soo good.
    Thanks ?

  • Cate Jubb says:

    Has the points value changed now chicken is free?

  • Laura Ellis says:

    Thank you so much for this recipe! Loved how succulent the puréed butternut squash made the dish. I made it with quark for even fewer points and protein cheese on top. I loved it!

  • Laura Ellis how many points did it work out doing it like that, plus the fact chicken is now free?

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