Description
This Seafood Lasagna is a creamy, flavorful dish combining tender shrimp, lump crab meat, and rich cheeses layered between oven-ready lasagna noodles. A luscious white sauce made with clam juice and Italian seasonings ties the seafood and pasta together for a decadent main course perfect for dinner gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Seafood Mixture
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 8 ounces small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tail off
- 8 ounces lump crab meat
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Lasagna Assembly
- 9-12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter to prevent sticking.
- Make the White Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and whisk constantly until smooth and bubbly, about 1 minute. Slowly add the heavy cream and clam juice, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Cook the sauce for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens.
- Season Sauce: Remove the sauce from heat and stir in garlic powder, onion powder, ground nutmeg (if using), Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan, salt, and black pepper until fully combined. Set the sauce aside.
- Sauté Seafood: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn pink. Remove from heat, then gently fold in the lump crab meat and chopped parsley.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange enough oven-ready lasagna noodles to cover the bottom, slightly overlapping as needed. Spread one third of the seafood mixture over the noodles, followed by one third of the sauce, and sprinkle with one third of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Layer Repetition: Repeat the layers two more times with noodles, seafood, sauce, and mozzarella, finishing with a final layer of noodles topped with the remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake Covered: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, making sure it does not touch the cheese layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow it to set. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and enjoy your seafood lasagna!
Notes
- Use oven-ready lasagna noodles to skip boiling and save preparation time.
- If lump crab meat is unavailable, substitute with canned crab meat or chopped cooked white fish.
- For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, though the sauce will be thinner.
- Cover the lasagna with foil carefully to prevent the cheese from sticking and burning.
- Letting the lasagna rest after baking helps the layers firm up for easier slicing.
- Adding a pinch of nutmeg to the sauce enhances the creamy flavor but is optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
