• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
1 hour 30 minutes
4.76 from 25 votes
24 Comments

Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 111
by: Joanna Cismaru
04.09.22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese – This recipe is made with ground chicken and pancetta for the Bolognese sauce. Simple to make and a favorite comfort food.

Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese in a pan with a piece being lifted up with a spatula

Don’t you just love lasagna? I’m sure you all have your own version of lasagna, like your go-to recipe from your mother or grandmother. Well I never got one from my mom, but I did learn to make lasagna myself a very long time ago.

Lasagna has always been one of my favorite pasta dishes! Maybe it’s all the cheese, or all the saucy noodles, or because when you put all these great ingredients together, you’ve got a classic comfort food.

What Is Bolognese?

There’s nothing more classic than a good lasagna alla bolognese. Bolognese sauce, which is also known as ragu, is simply an Italian meat-based sauce. That’s what I’ve done here, after all this lasagna is all about the meat sauce! While beef is traditionally used for bolognese, I decided to make it a bit healthier and use chicken. You could use ground turkey or even ground pork, it’s totally up to you.

I also added some pancetta because we all know that bacon makes the world go round! Then of course, as any good meat sauce, it’s loaded with onion, celery, carrots, lots of garlic and basil. As you probably already know the secret to a good sauce is to let it simmer on low heat for a while. For the sake of speeding this recipe up a bit, I simmered it for 20 minutes and it was still delicious.

an orange pot filled with sauce for Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese

How to Make Chicken Bolognese Sauce

The sauce is about the hardest thing about this chicken lasagna recipe, and that’s saying a lot! First you’ll heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and pancetta, and cook until the onions soften. Now add the chicken, break it up into pieces, and cook until you can’t see any more pink.

Mix in the oregano, chili flakes, tomato paste, then the wine and fresh basil. Let this cook for a few minutes so that the alcohol can burn off. Now you can pour the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes in and let all those amazing flavors simmer for 20 minutes!

steps for layering cheese on Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese

How to Assemble Chicken Lasagna Alla Bolognese

The rest of this recipe is a piece of cake! Let the layering begin:

  1. Sauce
  2. Noodles
  3. Sauce
  4. Cheese mixture
  5. Noodles
  6. Sauce
  7. Cheese mixture
  8. Noodles
  9. Sauce
  10. Cheese mixture
  11. Remaining mozarella

I actually use uncooked lasagna noodles for this recipe. I discovered this a while ago and let me tell you- it works! This is what I used to hate about making lasagna before is that I had to boil the noodles, making me extra dirty pots to clean. No thank you. You can use dry noodles straight out of the package! They will cook up with all that delicious sauce in your lasagna.

After you layer your lasagna, all that’s left to do is bake it. If you use the dry noodles it will take about an hour to cook fully. If you use the fresh ones, it will take about 40 minutes. That’s all there is to this classic lasagna. Now it’s time to eat!

a pan of Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese

How to Store Chicken Lasagna Bolognese

Lasagna can be a messy job, so if you have more than half of this lasagna leftover, keep it right in the baking dish. Let the lasagna cool down to room temperature, then cover the dish well with plastic wrap or foil. It will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.

How to Freeze and Reheat Chicken Lasagna Alla Bolognese

This is such a great dinner to make ahead of time! You can freeze it cooked or uncooked. If you cook it first, make sure it has time to cool down to room temperature completely before storing it in the freezer. Cover it tightly with foil, and pop it in the freezer. It will last in there for 2-3 months.

To reheat the lasagna, preheat your oven to 400F. Keep the foil over the baking dish and cook the lasagna for 1.5 hours. Remove the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese begins to bubble and brown.

a piece of Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese on a plate topped with parmesan and parsley

More Great Lasagna Recipes To Try

  • Taco Lasagna
  • Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
  • Easy Beef Lasagna
  • Skillet Lasagna
  • Zucchini Lasagna
  • Lasagna Dip
  • Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
  • Lasagna Roll-ups
  • One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna
  • Lasagna Soup

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

a spatula lifting a piece of chicken bolognese lasagna from the baking dish

Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese

4.76 from 25 votes
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 12
Print Pin Rate
Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese – a classic lasagna recipe using ground chicken and pancetta for the Bolognese sauce. Simple to make and a favorite comfort food.

Ingredients

Bolognese Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 1 medium carrot chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 ounce pancetta chopped
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

Lasagna

  • 2 cups ricotta cheese 500 ml
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 9 lasagna noodles uncooked
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Make Bolognese Sauce: In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and pancetta to the pot and saute for about 5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add the ground chicken to the pot and break it up using a wooden spoon so that it crumbles. Cook it for another 5 minutes until the ground chicken is no longer pink.
  • Add the oregano, chili flakes, tomato paste and stir. Add the wine and basil and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally add in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper as needed. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  • Prepare Cheese: In a bowl combine together the ricotta, 1 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the egg. Set aside.
  • Assemble Lasagna: Spread a couple ladles of the bolognese sauce in the bottom of a ceramic 13×9 baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over the bolognese sauce; top with a couple more ladles of the sauce, then top with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, trying to spread it around a bit. Repeat with another 3 lasagna noodles, sauce, cheese, 3 more lasagna noodles, sauce and last of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.
  • Bake: Bake for about an hour until the noodles are cooked through. If you’re using fresh lasagna noodles, it will take less cooking time, about 35 to 45 minutes.
  • Let the lasagna cool for a few minutes before cutting into it. Feel free to garnish it with fresh parsley or basil and Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Notes

Good dry white wines to use for this recipe would be a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pino Grigio. 
If you don’t want to use wine, you can add an extra half cup of chicken broth and 2 tsp of either white wine vinegar, or regular white vinegar.
You can use ground beef, pork, or turkey in this recipe instead of chicken.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 328kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 23g (8%)Protein: 20g (40%)Fat: 16g (25%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 84mg (28%)Sodium: 387mg (17%)Potassium: 513mg (15%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 1350IU (27%)Vitamin C: 5.4mg (7%)Calcium: 212mg (21%)Iron: 1.6mg (9%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Italian
Keyword:chicken lasagna, lasagna, lasagna bolognese
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 111

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

side view shot of lemon yogurt cake sliced
Previous Post
Lemon Yogurt Cake
overhead shot of baja spinach dip with a tortilla chip stuck in it
Next Post
Baja Spinach Dip

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Saba K says

    April 26, 2022 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing. I tweaked the recipe a bit with some extra spices. I did not use pancetta because I don’t eat pork.. I added zucchini and spinach. Also added some fennel seeds to the chicken to give it that kind of italian sausage taste. I just used the mortar to grind the fennel seeds down a little bit. Also used a mix of Rao’s Marinara sauce with the crushed tomato. Thank you so much for creating this recipe and giving me inspiration. It’s definitely a new favorite in my household.

    Reply
  2. Jude B says

    November 8, 2021 at 7:02 am

    5 stars
    Used this recipe several times and it is the BEST lasagne I’ve ever made – and I’ve made a lot of really great lasagnes! Thank you for posting this and thank goodness for Pinterest so I don’t ever lose it!

    Reply
    • Jude B says

      November 8, 2021 at 7:03 am

      5 stars
      I also omitted the pancetta and the celery.

      Reply
  3. ECK says

    September 26, 2020 at 11:33 am

    5 stars
    I made this twice now, omitting the pancetta. My friend said it was “restaurant quality” lasagna and is waiting for her next tray!

    Reply
  4. Jim Voorhies says

    September 1, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    I’ll give it a try but I’ll have to modify it a bit. My wife developed an allergy to beef, pork, and all mammal meats as a result of a tick bite back in the late 90s. The pancetta is out as a possible ingredient but it might work with some turkey bacon. Our previous go to lasagna recipe is similar but it hasn’t been tasting quite as flavorful lately.

    Reply
  5. Jessica says

    May 21, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    How do you keep the chicken from getting over cooked? Since it’s cooked in the sauce and then again in the oven?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      May 21, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      It’s doused in sauce so it won’t be dry! Also it’s ground chicken; think of it in a similar light to ground beef.

      Reply
  6. Tessa Pillemer says

    May 1, 2020 at 7:06 am

    This recipe looks great!
    Can’t wait to try it!
    What can one use instead of pancetta?

    Reply
  7. Katie says

    September 19, 2018 at 10:30 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never been a red sauce Italian food fan but this lasagna is the best lasagna I have ever had!
    The hubby shareshares the same opinion

    Reply
  8. Oksana says

    February 20, 2017 at 10:50 pm

    This lasagna became of my husband’s favorite meals. Thank you so much for the recipe. I’ve never cooked lasagna before and was a little nervous, but your instructions are so clear and easy to follow, I enjoyed the process ?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 21, 2017 at 11:36 am

      That’s wonderful, so glad you guys liked it!

      Reply
  9. Candice says

    March 1, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    Did you ground the chicken on your own or bought it at the meat market?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 1, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      I bought it ground already from my local grocery store.

      Reply
      • Candice says

        March 1, 2016 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you! ^_^

  10. Niyatee Ravipati says

    January 6, 2016 at 8:36 am

    hi Jo,
    I made this and it came out so well! I made lasagna for the very first time and didnt cook the pasta sheets like you said, but it was perfect. We don’t get ricotta cheese or parmesan here so I used cottage and mozzarella. My only problem was, I felt like maybe cheesy richness was a bit lacking, coz i didn’t add parmesan. Do you think making some bechamel and adding in a layer of that, like sauce,bechamel, cheese-egg mix, noodle, would help? Can you suggest anything else I can do, if I use cottage instead of ricotta and do not have parmesan, to add that cheesy richness?

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 6, 2016 at 9:37 am

      Oh bechamel sauce would be great here, give it a try!

      Reply
  11. ana duffy says

    October 5, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Hi Jo!! this looks amazing!! I am actually planning on making it tomorrow for din din. Quick question,can I use half pound of chicken and half pound of pork??? thank you

    Reply
    • jo says

      October 5, 2015 at 4:18 pm

      Oh absolutely!!! That would work really well.

      Reply
      • ana duffy says

        October 6, 2015 at 3:06 pm

        does this need to be covered while baking if using dry noodles???

      • jo says

        October 6, 2015 at 4:17 pm

        If using dry noodles I would probably cover it for the first 30 minutes at least then finish it uncovered.

  12. The Glamorous Pan says

    September 5, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    Looks delicious!

    Reply
  13. Teresa says

    September 4, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    This looks so fantastic. I can’t wait to give it a try.

    Reply
  14. Bella B says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    This looks just so delicious!

    xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com

    Reply
  15. Morning says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    5 stars
    I love chicken and this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I will try right now

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
chow mein in a white asian bowl.

Asian

caprese gnocchi in a sheet pan.

Italian

chicken fajita taquitos with sour cream and salsa on a white platter.

Mexican

chicken and mushroom in creamy dill sauce over a bed of rice in a blue bowl.

Romanian

freshly made lamb korma in a beige braiser.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!