Ingredients
32ozchicken breasts,boneless, skinless, sliced in half lengthwise to make 8
¾cupseasoned breadcrumbs,used whole wheat, you can also use GF crumbs
¼cupparmesan cheese,grated
2large eggs,beaten
Olive oil spray
15ozricotta cheese,container part-skim, like Polly-o almost 2 cups
½cupPecorino Romano,or Parmesan cheese, grated
¼cupbasil,fresh chopped, plus more for garnish
4¾cupsmarinara sauce,homemade or jarred from about 2
9ozlasagna noodles,box no-boil, used Barilla
3cupsbaby spinach
3cupsmozzarella cheese,part-skim shredded
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Beat the egg in another bowl.
Dip the chicken into the eggs, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Discard the remaining crumbs.
Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet, lightly spray the top with oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, do not turn.
When done, remove from the oven and reduce oven temp to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, and basil in a medium bowl.
In a 9 by 13 by 3-inch Pyrex Deep baking dish, ladle 3/4 cup of marinara on the bottom of the dish.
Arrange 3 lasagna noodles across the dish (they will expand as they cook), top with 3/4 cup sauce, 4 pieces of chicken, 1/4 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 3/4 cup spinach.
Repeat the 2nd layer, skipping the chicken.
Repeat the 3rd layer with the chicken, and the 4th layer without the chicken.
For the 5th layer, spread the last 3 sheets of pasta noodles with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce on top.
Cover with foil and bake in a 400 degrees F preheated oven in the center rack 50 minutes.
Uncover, add the remaining cup of mozzarella and bake until melted, 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it rest 15 minutes before serving.
