This Pesto Lasagna is such a tasty summer meal. It’s made with ground chicken, a fresh corn cream sauce, and, of course, the real star of the show —a pesto that bursts with flavor. Pesto is such a go-to for me in the summer, not only is it so easy to make yourself using fresh herbs from your garden (or the store), but it adds a lot of flavor to any recipe. You’re going to love this recipe!

❤️ Why You’ll Love Pesto Lasagna

• Flavorful: Pesto gives such a burst of flavor from the fresh herbs in it. You also get a burst of flavor from the creamy corn sauce in this lasagna, which is made with garlic and lemon.
• Easy: This recipe is really easy to assemble, and you can even prep it in advance, then throw it in the oven when you’re ready.
• Versatile: You can make this Pesto Lasagna your own by switching up the ground chicken to your favorite ground meat, or even a vegetarian alternative.

🍲 Ingredients

Corn – Corn is a versatile ingredient and is in season during the summer months. When it’s in season, it’s so dang flavorful that I want to add it to everything. For this recipe, you can simply cut the corn kernels off of cooked corn on the cobs, or you can use frozen or canned corn.

Pesto – Pesto is bursting with flavor. It’s made with fresh herbs like basil and parsley, and usually blended in a food processor with olive oil, and sometimes garlic, and nuts like pine nuts, but you can truly make it your own with basil and whatever fresh herbs you have.

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👩‍🍳 How to Make Pesto Lasagna

Make the corn sauce

1. To make the corn sauce, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium heat for 30 seconds before adding the onion and garlic. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring consistently to avoid burning.
2. To the pan, add the corn and cook down for around 5 minutes, or until the corn is tender and juicy. Now add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, broth, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and safely transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender. Let the sauce cool for 5-10 minutes before blending as blending a hot sauce can cause a blender to overflow. Blend till a beautiful, bechamel-like cream sauce is achieved. Taste the sauce for salt and adjust accordingly. Set aside.

Make the chicken

• To make the chicken, heat the same pan you cooked the corn in on medium-high heat for 1 minute before adding the ground chicken. Let it brown for around 4-5 minutes, using a meat tenderizer or fork to break up the chicken. To the chicken, add the salt, pepper, garlic + onion powder and chilli flakes. Stir until everything is coated.
• Make a hole in the center of the chicken mixture and add the olive oil to the center. Heat for 1 minute before adding the onion and garlic to the center. Cook for 3 minutes before stirring to combine. Make sure the chicken and onions are well distributed, the chicken is cooked through and then set aside.

Assemble and bake the lasagna

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. To assemble the lasagna, layer as follows:
   • Spread 1 cup corn sauce on the bottom of the pan and then layer 2 fresh lasagna pasta sheets.
   • Spread 1 cup corn sauce on the noodles followed by 1/4 cup of the pesto. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cooked ground chicken mixture over the sauces.
   • Layer 2 fresh lasagna sheets over the chicken mixture then spread 1 cup corn sauce, 1/4 cup pesto and then sprinkle over 1 1/2 cups of the cooked ground chicken mixture.
   • Layer 2 fresh lasagna sheets over the chicken mixture then spread 1 cup corn sauce and 1/4 cup pesto. Finally, finish by sprinkling over top the freshly grated parmesan and grated mozzarella cheese.
   • Then finish with a light sprinkle of fine ground semolina and a drizzle of olive oil (optional).
3. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 25 more minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10-15 minutes and then cut into nine pieces. Serve garnished with fresh basil!

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Keep Pesto Green: Prevent Oxidation when making your own pesto, adding an ice cube or very cold water during blending can help keep the basil bright green and prevent it from oxidizing and turning dark.
• Lasagna Noodles: If using regular dried lasagna noodles, cook them al dente before assembling. They’ll continue to cook in the oven, so you don’t want them soft and mushy to start. Rinse them quickly in cold water after draining to prevent sticking.
• Don’t Overfill: Aim for even layers without overfilling. This ensures everything cooks thoroughly and the lasagna holds its shape.

🗒 Variations

If you love this Pesto Lasagna, try one of these other lasagnas or pasta casseroles:

• Greek Lasagna
• Ravioli Casserole
• Pesto Pasta Bake

🗒 Best served with

• Italian Chopped Salad
• Easy Chopped Salad
• Asparagus, Snap Pea & Radish Salad

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Lasagna is great leftover. Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

🤔 Common Questions

Chicken Pesto Lasagna with a Corn Cream Sauce

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This easy Pesto Lasagna with a creamy corn sauce is the perfect summer lasagna that'll feed a crowd.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Italian-Inspired

Servings 9 pieces

Calories 388 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the corn sauce

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 5 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen & defrosted)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups water with 2 tbsp Better than Bouillon)
• zest of one lemon
• juice of half a lemon

For the ground chicken

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 450 grams (1 lb) ground chicken
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• pinch of chili flakes

To assemble the lasagna

• 3/4 cup basil pesto
• 250-300 grams fresh lasagna sheets
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• fine ground semolina (optional)
• olive oil (optional)
• fresh basil for garnish

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Instructions

 

Make the corn sauce

• To make the corn sauce, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium heat for 30 seconds before adding the onion and garlic. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring consistently to avoid burning.
• To the pan, add the corn and cook down for around 5 minutes, or until the corn is tender and juicy. Now add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, broth, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and safely transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender.
• Let the sauce cool for 5-10 minutes before blending as blending a hot sauce can cause a blender to overflow. Blend till a beautiful, bechamel-like cream sauce is achieved. Taste the sauce for salt and adjust accordingly. Set aside.

Make the chicken

• To make the chicken, heat the same pan you cooked the corn in on medium-high heat for 1 minute before adding the ground chicken. Let it brown for around 4-5 minutes, using a meat tenderizer or fork to break up the chicken. To the chicken, add the salt, pepper, garlic + onion powder and chilli flakes. Stir until everything is coated.
• Make a hole in the center of the chicken mixture and add the olive oil to the center. Heat for 1 minute before adding the onion and garlic to the center. Cook for 3 minutes before stirring to combine. Make sure the chicken and onions are well distributed, the chicken is cooked through and then set aside.

Assemble and bake the lasagna

• Preheat the oven to 375F.
• Corn Sauce
• To assemble the lasagna, layer as follows –

  Spread 1 cup corn sauce on the bottom of the pan and then layer 2 fresh lasagna pasta sheets.

  Spread 1 cup corn sauce on the noodles followed by 1/4 cup of the pesto. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cooked ground chicken mixture over the sauces.

  Layer 2 fresh lasagna sheets over the chicken mixture then spread 1 cup corn sauce, 1/4 cup pesto and then sprinkle over 1 1/2 cups of the cooked ground chicken mixture.

  Layer 2 fresh lasagna sheets over the chicken mixture then spread 1 cup corn sauce and 1/4 cup pesto. Finally, finish by sprinkling over top the freshly grated parmesan and grated mozzarella cheese. Then finish with a light sprinkle of fine ground semolina and a drizzle of olive oil (optional).
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 25 more minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10-15 minutes and then cut into nine pieces. Serve garnished with fresh basil!

Notes

• This recipe is an incredible way to enjoy fresh corn during the summer months! However, if corn is not in season using frozen corn that has been defrosted works just as well.
• If you love this recipe, try our Traditional Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.6g | Protein: 20.2g | Fat: 21.1g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 49.5mg | Sodium: 864.4mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 7.3g

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