Name: White Lasagna With Pesto & Pancetta
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12 Slices
Cuisine: American

Sunday Table Verified

February 19, 2025

16 Ingredients

HARD

This white lasagna is layered with homemade pesto, creamy béchamel, crispy pancetta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan for a cozy, savory, cheesy dish. Since we’re not making a labor-intensive meat sauce, this recipe actually comes together pretty easily! We’re going to make this recipe in three steps just to keep things simple and help break up the work a bit. It's a huge crowd pleaser and has become one of my go-to dinner party meals!

White Lasagna With Pesto & Pancetta cover

From the Cook

1/5

White Lasagna With Pesto & Pancetta

Sunday Table Verified

Ingredients

Slices

WarningMilk and 6 other allergens identified

Instructions

Pesto

Place the basil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse it a few times to break up the leaves. Add the pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan and run the food processor until everything is finely minced. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula every once in a while to ensure the mixture is evenly minced.

While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the basil mixture until you have a smooth and emulsified pesto sauce.

Add the salt and black pepper. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.

Shallot Béchamel

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until they are soft, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the flour. Whisk the roux for about 2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.

Slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce is smooth. Stir constantly until the béchamel is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 7-8 minutes. Do not let the sauce come to a full boil. Remove it from the heat and set aside.

Lasagna Prep

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a deep 9×13 baking dish. Add the shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses to a medium bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles 1-2 minutes less than al dente (the noodles will continue to cook during baking). Drain and set aside.

Line a plate with paper towels. Then, cook the pancetta in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it is crispy. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the pancetta onto the paper towels. Discard any remaining fat.

Assemble The Lasagna

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the béchamel on the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Add one layer of noodles, cutting the noodles to fill in any nooks and crannies if necessary.

Top the noodles with a few dollops of the pesto. Use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly across the noodles. Next, spread about 1/2 cup of béchamel over the pesto followed by a sprinkle of pancetta and a handful of the cheese mixture. Repeat this 2-3 more times, finishing with a layer of noodles (make sure to reserve some béchamel and cheese for the top). You should have 3-4 layers total.

Spread the remaining béchamel on the top layer of noodles. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the sauce.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is bubbly and browned on the edges, and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.

Allow the lasagna to set at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.*** Slice into 12 pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Smart Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Pesto Perfection 🌿
Toast pine nuts before making pesto to enhance their nutty flavor and prevent a raw, bitter taste. Use a dry skillet and watch carefully to avoid burning.
Béchamel Brilliance 🥛
Whisk your béchamel constantly and cook the flour mixture for 2-3 minutes to eliminate any raw flour taste and create a smooth, silky sauce.
Pancetta Crispiness 🥓
Render pancetta slowly over medium-low heat to achieve maximum crispiness without burning, which will add a perfect textural contrast to the creamy lasagna.
Layering Technique 🧀
Create even, thin layers of pesto, béchamel, and cheese to ensure every bite has a balanced combination of flavors and textures.
Resting Magic 🍽️
Allow the lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes after baking to help it set and make cutting and serving much easier and cleaner.

Intelligent Tags

About the Cook

Sunday Table

I’m Sara, the creator behind Sunday Table, sharing cozy, modern small bites and mini desserts made for entertaining. Trained in baking and culinary arts, I’ve been creating elevated, crowd-pleasing recipes since 2012 (with lots of coffee). ☕️