Rustic Chicken and Bacon Lasagna

By David TisueMain Dish, Pasta

Layers of tender pasta, sauce, and gooey melted cheese. The world has had a long love affair with lasagna.

Lasagna is definitely one of my favorite things to make. Yes, it involves some work. But, it can also be made ahead, and the results are so satisfying, that I feel it is worth every effort, especially if you go to the trouble of making your own pasta dough. I love all the layers of pasta and sauces; to me, it is the ultimate way to show my love of food and cooking. Having a dinner party with lasagna at the center can make for one special evening.

Lasagna originated in Naples somewhere in the middle ages. It seemed to have some sort of layered food of bread dough and sauces. Lasagna has been cooked in Italy in some form ever since. The Greeks described: λάσανα (lasana) as a layered pasta or unleavened dough with sauce. So there is a debate as to where lasagna really comes from. The history of lasagna is also mentioned in the court of Spain during the Renaissance and the cook for King Richard II of England wrote about it as a favorite. Lasagna has been loved a long time.

Making lasagna doesn’t have to stick to the rules of plain tomato sauce and loads of melted mozzarella cheese. It can be many things layered between pasta sheets. My Mom’s lasagna, which I still adore doesn’t have any mozzarella at all. My mouth still waters every time I think about my childhood home smelling of tomato, basil, and ground beef. I’ve made a lasagna filled with pumpkin, leeks, and Prosciutto for years that I love to bake in the fall.

This chicken and bacon one is one of my best. It is filled with loads of chicken, smoky bacon and creamy béchamel sauce. It does take a bit to put together, and yes, you need most of the burners on your stove. But, with some organization, it will come together without too much trouble. Use my pasta dough recipe that I posted last week, it makes just the right amount for this recipe. I promise you this lasagna is well worth it. Every time I’ve made this delectable dish I’ve had so many compliments that I have felt I needed to share it.

4 from 1 vote
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Rustic Chicken and Bacon Lasagna
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
 

A great lasagne filled with chicken and bacon

Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 28 oz cans plumb tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 lbs or about 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken can be white or dark or from a whole roasted bird
Pasta dough
  • 1 lb fresh pasta dough
For the Béchamel Sauce
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 1 pinch nutmeg,freshly grated if possible
  • 1/2 large onion, peeled and sliced
  • 10 whole peppercorns
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
to finish
  • 1 lb mozzarella ball; you can use shredded
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 10-12 fresh sage leaves
  • olive oil for drizzling
Instructions

  1. Butter a 13 X 9 and 3 inches deep baking dish or lasagna pan, set aside ( I do this now so I don’t forget!)

The tomato sauce

  1. Cook the bacon until crisp in a large dutch oven or pot big enough to hold 8 or more quarts. 

  2. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside. 

  3. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon or so of the bacon grease. Add in the garlic and sauté for a minute to cook. Try not to over brown the garlic, as it will become bitter.

  4. Add in the rosemary, bay leaves and the cans of tomatoes. 

  5. Bring to a simmer and gently cook, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring every so often and breaking up the tomatoes as you stir. You don’t want to have a smooth sauce but break up any large chunks.

  6. While the sauce is simmering, make the pasta dough and let rest as you finish the sauces. 

  7. When the sauce has simmered for 45 minutes, remove the bay leaves and the stems from the rosemary sprigs. 

  8. Add in the shredded chicken and the reserved bacon.

  9. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes. 

While the tomato sauce is doing its final simmer, make the béchamel sauce:

  1. In a small saucepan bring the milk to a simmer with the parsley sprigs, nutmeg, onion slices and black peppercorns. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Be careful not to let the milk boil over.

  2. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. 

  3. Clean out the saucepan or use a second one.

  4. Stirring constantly, let the flour cook for a minute. 

  5. One ladle at a time, add in the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly to make a thick smooth sauce. You can use a small whisk here. It helps if you have one.

  6. Add in the 1 cup of the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. 

  7. Set aside until you are ready to assemble.

When ready to assemble

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. 

  2. Bring a pot of water on the stove to boil; it can heat as you roll the pasta. As a note; the pot doesn’t have to be huge, just big enough to cook a sheet or two of the pasta in.

  3. Using a pasta machine, roll out the rested pasta dough. It is easier for handling, to roll out ½ of the dough at a time. 

  4. Start with setting #1 (the thickest setting) pass the dough through several times to smooth out the dough. 

  5. Then roll on setting #2; continue to pass the dough through the rollers several times before continuing to setting #3 and finally #4. By this point you will have a very long sheet.

  6. Divide the pasta into smaller strips about 11 -12 inches long. It doesn’t have to be precise. Some can be smaller and used as overlapping from the sides. 

  7. Lightly flour and set aside, as best you can.

  8. Roll and cut the second half of the dough. 

  9. Blanch one or 2 sheets of the pasta in the boiling water for a minute, (I find the long handle of a wooden spoon great for this)

  10. Remove them and place in the buttered lasagna pan letting the pasta overhang widthwise over the edge of the dish. 2 sheets should be enough to cover the bottom of the dish if you need a third that is OK. 

  11. Ladle in 1/3 of the meat sauce, spreading to cover the pasta.

  12. Spread a thin layer of the béchamel. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You will want to reserve about 1 ½ cups of the white sauce for the top. 

  13. Sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese over the béchamel, also reserving about 1/3 cup for the top. 

  14. Blanch 2 or 3 more sheets of the pasta and cover the filled layer. This time spread the cooked pasta lengthwise, again having some of the pasta overhanging. Make sure you have enough of the pasta to cover the previous layer

  15. Ladle in 1/3 more of the tomato sauce and repeat with the béchamel and the Parmesan cheese. 

  16. Repeat the layering with 2 -3 more sheets of pasta this time the pasta doesn’t need to overhang. Again top with the remaining 1/3 of the tomato sauce, a bit of the béchamel, and parmesan cheese. 

  17. Fold in the edges of the pasta and blanch 2 more sheets to cover the top of the lasagna, kind of like it’s a big package. 

  18. Spread the reserved béchamel sauce over the top pasta noodles. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan cheese

  19. Tear pieces of the mozzarella cheese and distribute over the white sauce. 

  20. Tear up the fresh sage leaves and sprinkle over the mozzarella. 

  21. Drizzle over the entire lasagna a little bit of olive oil. 

  22. Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly. 

Recipe Notes

This Lasagna is great baked the day before and reheated 

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