Third and Patterson: Rosemary Chicken Lasagna

Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love to throw a dinner party. Casual, fancy, it doesn't matter. I love it. (I get it from my Mom, who threw amazing parties for my dad's battalion when I was a little girl growing up in Germany. She can still throw a damn good shindig!) I like finding recipes (or creating my own), setting the table, and putting out flowers. The whole bit. And, let's be honest here; a dinner party also forces us to clean up the baby toy explosion in our house.

Last night, we hosted our former colleagues, who also happen to be great friends. We haven't seen a couple of them in years, and it was so great to catch up. All week long, they were texting me, "What can we bring?" "You have a baby now, let us help!" My response every day until Friday afternoon was, "Um...I haven't a clue yet what I'm making. I'm busy chasing after Cubscout all day. I'll let you know when I figure it out." So, I of course went to my Pinterest arsenal of recipes and found this delectable little dish, Rosemary Chicken Lasagna, on my "Delish" board. Can I just say how much I love her lasagna pan?!!!

Before my honeymoon in Italy, I thought lasagna was only made like my Great-grandmother's recipe with a bolognese sauce, ricotta, cottage cheese, basil, noodles, and mozzarella. When we arrived in Italy, I made it my mission to try lasagna in every city we visited. I was pleasantly surprised to find out lasagna simply ment a casserole layered with noodles. They oozed with rich creamy fillings, seasonal vegetables, and hearty sauces. I gained 8 pounds in two weeks as we ate our way through the country. :o) It was worth every bite.

Sylvia Fountaine is a chef and caterer in Spokane, Washington. I have fallen in love with her blog, Feasting at Home. She gives a unique twist on some oldie but goodie recipes, like this amazing lasagna. She replaces noodles with egg roll wrappers, meaning you don't have to cook any noodles and it keeps it light. I used no bake noodles, and they worked perfectly. I also substituted arugula for spinach. The rosemary béchamel sauce is to die for. It's rich, creamy, and the hint of rosemary gives it a beautiful but light herbaceous aroma and flavor. I did use low-fat ricotta, milk, and mozzarella to save a few calories. The chicken and mushroom filling completes this comfort dish.

My lasagna. Please excuse the poor lighting in the shot...