- Breaking dried lasagna sheets into shards and cooking them directly in the sauce gives you the flavor and texture of a layered lasagna without the fuss of boiling the noodles separately.
- Using pre-shredded rotisserie chicken saves time and prep work.
- The capers crisped in butter add a briny crunch that balances the richness.
Rich yet bright and balanced, this one-pan dinner brings together two Italian American favorites — chicken piccata and baked lasagna — for a new comfort-food classic. It delivers all the hallmarks of piccata in a format that eats like your favorite cheesy pasta bake.
The sauce is the star here, and it starts with an aromatic mix of garlic and shallots, softened in butter then gently cooked with white wine. From there, chicken stock is added for savory depth with a splash of milk for richness. Finally, fresh lemon juice adds the signature piccata zing, keeping every bite lively.
This recipe is about working smarter, not harder. Instead of boiling pasta and layering it in a baking dish, you’ll snap dried lasagna sheets into pieces and simmer directly in the sauce until tender, so they soak up all the flavor as they cook. Rather than breading and sautéing cutlets, you’ll fold shredded rotisserie chicken right into the pan along with the capers, lemon juice, and herbs. Before the skillet hits the broiler, a ricotta–Parmesan cheese mixture gets dolloped over the lasagna followed by a blanket of mozzarella that melts to a bubbling, golden crust.
The double-treatment of the capers is a must here. Similar to the traditional recipe, raw capers are stirred into the sauce to infuse it with briny brightness. But crisping the remaining capers in butter lends a crunchy, salty finish that takes the pasta to the next level.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
- If the noodles soak up liquid too fast, loosen the sauce with a splash of stock or water so they stay tender and submerged.
- For this recipe, you can either use standard rectangular lasagna sheets or lasagna riccia, the sheets with the ruffled edges.
- For even more crunch, sprinkle the topping with toasted panko.
Suggested pairing
Since this lemony Chicken Piccata Skillet Lasagna has brightness from white wine, fresh lemon juice, and briny capers, you’ll want a wine that mirrors those zippy notes while keeping the palate refreshed. A citrus-driven white, such as Zenato Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, is the perfect choice. Its zesty lemon and green apple flavors echo the dish’s acidity, while crisp minerality and balanced freshness cut through the creamy layers.
This recipe was developed by Marianne Williams; the text was written by Andee Gosnell.
