Description
This creamy seafood lasagna combines succulent shrimp and lump crab meat layered with rich béchamel sauce infused with clam juice, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Baked to golden perfection, it's a delightful twist on traditional lasagna that's perfect for seafood lovers looking for an impressive, comforting main course.
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
Assembly
- 9-12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter to prevent sticking.
- Make the Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, cooking for about 1 minute. Gradually pour in the heavy cream and clam juice while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking and stirring for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg if using, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook Seafood: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the finely chopped onion for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until just pink. Remove from heat and gently fold in the lump crab meat and chopped parsley.
- Layer Assembly: Spread a thin layer of the prepared sauce over the bottom of the greased baking dish. Arrange enough oven-ready lasagna noodles to cover the bottom, overlapping slightly if needed. Spread one-third of the seafood mixture evenly over the noodles, followed by one-third of the sauce. Sprinkle with one-third of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layering two more times, finishing with a top layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, ensuring the foil does not touch the cheese to prevent sticking. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes to set. Garnish with additional fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use oven-ready noodles to skip boiling and simplify the layering process.
- Substitute lump crab meat with imitation crab if desired, though fresh lump crab provides better flavor and texture.
- For a lighter version, replace heavy cream with half-and-half, but the sauce may be less rich.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil to keep moisture in and prevent the top cheese from burning during the first baking phase.
- Allow the lasagna to rest after baking to help it set and make slicing easier.
- If fresh parsley is unavailable, dried parsley can be used in the sauce, but fresh is best for garnish and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
