Chicken Lasagna Bolognese

I wanted a lasagna. I wanted a lasagna with a meat sauce. I had ground chicken in the freezer.
I never made a bolognese with chicken. I guess this was going to be the first time.

I usually make my lasagnas in aluminum loaf pans using the Barilla no cook pasta sheets. It's the perfect size for two dinners and a lunch. I had exactly 12 dried traditional curly edged lasagna sheets in my pantry earmarked for roll-ups. Oh well, maybe another time. I had another idea for those babies.

The rest of the ingredients were on a shelf, and I always have carrots, garlic and onions in my fridge.

I was getting my lasagna and it was gonna be a masterpiece, a HUGE masterpiece. I now am the proud owner of three lasagna dinners in my freezer. Whoopie for us!!

Chicken Bolognese Sauce
makes enough for a 9x13 lasagna

* 1 pound ground chicken (not all white meat please)
* 1/2 white onion, chopped
* 1 large carrot, chopped
* 4 gloves garlic, chopped
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 small can tomato paste
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 cup low sodium beef broth (I use College Inn)
* 1 quart water
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon Italian Seasonings
* 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan (about 5 cups). When the oil is hot, add the chicken and break up the pieces with a potato masher or wooden spoon.
2. When the meat and the saucepan browns, remove to a bowl and add the carrot, onion and garlic to the saucepan.
3. Saute until the vegetables take on lots of brown coloring, add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the browned bits and add the tomato paste. Cook the paste until the color changes from red to brown.
4. Stir the meat back into the pan, add all the seasonings (except the salt), the broth and only 1 cup of water.
5. Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat and cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add another cup of water and continue to simmer until that water has cooked out. Add the last cup of water and taste for salt.
6. Remove from heat and cool while you prepare the filling and cook the pasta.

Lasagna Bolognese
makes one large lasagna

* 12 lasagna pasta sheets, cooked in boiling salted water and cooled in cold water.
* 1 recipe Bolognese Sauce
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 cup flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1 cup low fat ricotta
* 1 cup grated cheese of choice (I use Romano)
* Freshly grated nutmeg
* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup low fat mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping

1. Spoon enough sauce into the bottom of a baking pan just to cover (1/4 of the sauce).
2. Lay 4 sheets of pasta evenly over the sauce.
3. Spoon 1/2 the cheese mixture over the pasta and spread evenly. Spoon another 1/4 of the sauce evenly over the filling and lay 4 more sheets of pasta down.
4. Repeat with another layer ending with a top of 4 more pasta sheets and the last of the sauce.
5. Top with the grated cheese, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350°.
6. Uncover, add the mozzarella and bake until the cheese melts and browns.
7. Allow to rest at least 20 minutes before cutting or the filling will ooze all over your dish.

For a sauce made with chicken it was meaty and extremely flavorful. I would make this again, easily.