The Ultimate Creamy White Lasagna Recipe (No Tomato!)

Are you searching for a truly comforting pasta dish that’s a delightful departure from the traditional? Perhaps you’ve wondered if lasagna could be just as rich and flavourful without any tomato at all? We’re here to confirm that it absolutely can be, and our ultimate creamy white lasagna recipe is all the evidence you need. Move over, classic bolognese; we are about to explore a wonderful world of velvety cheese sauce, tender chicken, and vibrant spinach, all nestled between layers of delicate pasta. This dish is pure comfort, like a warm hug on a plate that we know your family will fall in love with.

This recipe swaps the familiar sharpness of tomatoes for the deep, savoury richness of a classic French white sauce. It is an elegant interpretation that feels both hearty and sophisticated, making it ideal for a cosy weeknight meal or as the impressive centrepiece for a special gathering. We will walk you through each stage, making certain your path to lasagna excellence is straightforward, enjoyable, and exceptionally tasty.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly Creamy & Comforting: The soul of this lasagna is its smooth béchamel sauce, made even richer with Parmesan and mozzarella. Each mouthful is a truly luxurious and satisfying experience.
• A Refreshing Alternative: If you’ve grown a little weary of standard red sauce lasagna, this no tomato lasagna presents an entirely new and exciting flavour experience that is nutty, savoury, and wonderfully rich.
• Ideal for Entertaining: This is a fantastic dish to prepare in advance. You can assemble it the day before, which frees up more time to relax with your guests. It presents beautifully and tastes even more divine.
• Wonderfully Adaptable: While we adore the chicken and spinach pairing, this recipe serves as an excellent foundation for your own culinary creativity. Feel free to substitute different vegetables like mushrooms or courgettes, or even make use of leftover roast turkey.
• Deceptively Simple to Prepare: Please don’t be intimidated by the layers! We have broken the entire process down into simple, easy-to-follow steps. Getting the sauce and assembly right is much easier than you might imagine.

What Exactly Is a White Lasagna?

Known in its homeland as Lasagne in Bianco, this Italian dish showcases the amazing versatility of pasta. It stands as a proud and classic Italian white bake, eschewing the common tomato-based ragù in favour of a sauce built on milk, cheese, and butter. Its star component is Béchamel, one of the five foundational “mother sauces” of French gastronomy. This creamy, refined sauce acts as a perfect backdrop, allowing the other ingredients—in this recipe, chicken, spinach, and cheese—to take centre stage. The final result is less acidic and, some would say, even more indulgent than its red-sauced cousin, with a delightful focus on creamy textures and subtle, savoury notes.

Essential Ingredients for Your Creamy Lasagna

The first step towards a successful dish is gathering high-quality components. We find that using the best ingredients you can source truly makes a difference, as they lay the groundwork for this lasagna’s magnificent flavour. Here is the list of what you will need.

For the Silky Béchamel Sauce

• Unsalted Butter: This creates the foundation of our roux, lending a beautiful, rich flavour.
• Plain Flour: This is the essential thickening agent for our velvety sauce.
• Whole Milk: We recommend using whole milk for the creamiest outcome. Its fat content yields a richer sauce. Warming it slightly first helps to prevent lumps.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is non-negotiable! It melts seamlessly and imparts a salty, nutty complexity.
• Nutmeg: Just a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg is the secret that elevates a simple béchamel. It wonderfully enhances the dairy flavours.
• Salt and White Pepper: Used for seasoning. We opt for white pepper to keep the sauce’s immaculate colour.

For the Rich and Savoury Filling

• Cooked Chicken: Using a rotisserie chicken is a wonderful shortcut. Alternatively, you can use shredded poached or roasted chicken breasts.
• Fresh Spinach: We use a substantial quantity of fresh spinach. It wilts down perfectly, adding vibrant colour, nutrients, and a gentle, earthy taste.
• Ricotta Cheese: This introduces a light, lovely creaminess to the filling, resulting in soft pockets of texture within the lasagna.
• Mozzarella Cheese: It’s best to use low-moisture mozzarella grated from a block, as it melts superbly without making the dish watery.
• Garlic: A couple of finely minced cloves provide a fragrant, aromatic base for the filling.

For Assembling the Lasagna

• Lasagna Sheets: You have a choice of fresh sheets, dried sheets that need pre-boiling, or no-boil varieties. Our instructions are designed to work with any type.
• More Parmesan and Mozzarella: An extra layer of cheese on top is essential for achieving that irresistible golden-brown crust.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Bechamel Sauce Lasagna

Let’s construct this culinary masterpiece one layer at a time. By following these instructions, you’ll be rewarded with a bubbling, golden dish of absolute delight.

1. Prepare the Filling

   
   

   First, let’s craft the flavourful heart of the lasagna. In a spacious pan, warm a little olive oil over a medium flame. Sauté the minced garlic for around a minute until it becomes aromatic, taking care that it doesn’t brown. Introduce the fresh spinach in batches, letting each addition wilt before adding the next. Once all the spinach is cooked, squeeze out every last drop of excess water—this is a vital step to avoid a soggy lasagna. In a large bowl, mix the drained spinach, shredded chicken, ricotta, and half of the grated mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper, then stir until everything is thoroughly combined. Set this mixture aside.

2. Master the Béchamel Sauce

   
   

   Now, it’s time for the magic. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over a medium-low heat. When it has melted, whisk in the plain flour and let it cook for two minutes, stirring continuously. This paste is known as a roux, and this initial cooking step removes any raw flour taste. For deeper insight into this fundamental technique, BBC Good Food has an excellent guide. Slowly start to pour in the warm milk, adding a small amount at a time and whisking energetically after each addition to create a perfectly smooth sauce. Once all the milk has been incorporated, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until it has thickened enough to elegantly coat the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat and stir through the grated Parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Your wonderful bechamel sauce lasagna base is complete!

3. Assemble Your Lasagna Layers

   Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C Fan) and have a 9×13 inch baking dish ready. The order of layering is crucial for the perfect structure. This is how we build it:

   • First Layer (Sauce): Ladle a thin coating of béchamel sauce over the bottom of your dish. This prevents the pasta from sticking.
   • Second Layer (Pasta): Place a single layer of lasagna sheets on top of the sauce.
   • Third Layer (Filling): Evenly spread about one-third of the chicken and spinach and ricotta white lasagna filling over the pasta.
   • Fourth Layer (Sauce & Cheese): Spoon a generous amount of béchamel over the filling, then top with a sprinkle of mozzarella.
   • Repeat: Continue this sequence—pasta, filling, sauce, cheese—for two more complete layers.
   • Final Layer: Your final layer should be pasta sheets, which you’ll cover liberally with all the remaining béchamel sauce. It’s important to cover the pasta completely to stop it from drying out. Scatter the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.

4. Bake to Golden Perfection

   
   

   Cover the dish loosely with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. The foil helps to trap steam, which cooks the pasta perfectly. After 30 minutes have passed, remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the top is bubbling and has turned a beautiful golden-brown. It is essential to let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice into it. This allows it to set, which guarantees neat, well-formed portions.

Tips for the Best Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Experience

Although this isn’t technically an Alfredo sauce, the wonderfully creamy and cheesy character of the dish is very reminiscent of a chicken alfredo lasagna. Here are a few of our top tips to ensure a perfect result every time:

• Grate Your Own Cheese: Packaged pre-shredded cheeses often contain anti-caking powders that can stop them from melting into a smooth, even layer. Grating your own from a block makes a world of difference.
• Be Generous with Seasoning: Seasoning is key in creamy dishes. Be sure to taste both your béchamel and your filling before you start layering, adjusting the salt and pepper to your liking. Every component should taste delicious on its own.
• Resting is Essential: We know how tempting it is to serve it straight from the oven, but allowing the lasagna to rest is the secret to getting clean slices that hold their shape. A little patience goes a long way!
• Use Warm Milk: Introducing warm milk to the roux is a simple trick that helps to prevent lumps and results in a much silkier béchamel sauce.

Variations and Storage

One of the things we love about this recipe is how easily you can adapt it. For a vegetarian alternative, try swapping the chicken for sautéed mushrooms and roasted butternut squash. You could also introduce Italian sausage for a richer, meatier dish. If you’re a fan of creamy pasta, our One Pot Creamy Garlic Pasta delivers a similar comforting feel and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

To store your leftovers, cover the cooled lasagna securely and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It reheats wonderfully in either the oven or the microwave. Much like our Salmon Pasta With Creamy Garlic Sauce, we find this lasagna tastes just as delicious, if not more so, on the second day as the flavours have had more time to meld together.

FAQ

A New Family Favourite Awaits

We truly believe that this creamy white lasagna is destined to become a new staple at your dinner table. It’s the kind of dish that draws everyone together, fills your home with the most wonderful aroma, and provides pure satisfaction in every single bite. It is delicious proof that lasagna doesn’t require tomatoes to be absolutely spectacular. The blend of the rich béchamel, savoury chicken, and earthy spinach is a culinary marriage made in heaven.

So, are you ready to start a new tradition? We encourage you to give this recipe a go this week! We would be delighted to hear how it goes. Please feel free to leave a comment below to share your thoughts or any creative adjustments you made. Happy cooking!