• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 kg chicken thighs (skin removed)
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 400ml chicken stock (can use 1 chicken stock cube to make)
• 200 g cream cheese (Philly is good)
• 250 g ricotta(or another soft cheese)
• 190g jar pesto
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks or (300g of frozen pumpkin chunks)
• good grating of nutmeg
• 12 lasagne sheets
• 85g Parmesan, grated
• splash of milk
• 50g pine nuts

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until softened.
2. Push the onions to the edge of the pan, and add the chicken and cook for a few minutes each side to brown slightly. Then add the garlic and fry for another minute. Sprinkle over the flour and stir it into the onion mixture. Tip in the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the sauce sticking – or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Take the pan off the heat and take the chicken out. Using a knife and fork, pull or cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Discard the bones.
4. Mix the cream cheese and ricotta together and add half the mixture to the onion sauce along with the pesto stirring until the mixture has melted into the sauce, then put the chicken pieces back into the sauce.
5. Meanwhile, place the squash in a large bowl with 2tbsp of water, cover with cling film and microwave on High for 12-15 minutes, until really soft. If using the frozen pumpkin do the same thing but you will probably not need any water. Season the squash with a little of the nutmeg and some salt and pepper, mash lightly with a fork and mix in half the parmesan cheese
6. Heat oven to 180C/gas 4. Spoon half the chicken mixture into the bottom of a 20 x 30cm deep ovenproof dish. Cover with 4 lasagne sheets, then spread over the butternut squash and Parmesan mixture. Top with another 4 lasagne sheets, the remaining chicken mixture, then a final layer of lasagne.

7. Mix enough milk into the remaining mascarpone to make a smooth sauce – you need to aim for a consistency similar to a pouring sauce. Season with remaining nutmeg, salt and pepper (not too much salt there is plenty in the pesto!), then pour over the lasagne. Scatter over the remaining Parmesan and the pine nuts. Bake for 50 minutes until piping hot in the centre and crunchy and golden on top.

Based on a Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2013

Can make up as two lasagnes and freeze one.

Made April 2015. Very tasty and different to my usual lasagnes.