Delicious Creamy Seafood Lasagna

This rich seafood lasagna blends shrimp, crab, and lobster in a smooth creamy sauce. It’s a special treat that’s great for impressing friends with a twist on the usual lasagna. Soft layers of ricotta and melted mozzarella alongside tender shellfish make it totally mouthwatering.

I whipped this up at a family gathering and it quickly became a crowd-pleaser. That mix of shellfish and creamy sauce always gets rave reviews and vanishes fast.

What You Need

• Butter without salt: Four tablespoons to melt into the cream sauce and cook garlic without extra salt messing with the taste
• All-purpose flour: 1/4 cup to thicken the sauce nicely; use finely ground for smoothness
• Clam juice: 8 ounces for a gentle salty seafood vibe; grab bottled with no extras
• Whole milk: 3 cups for a creamy sauce; whole milk works best here
• Kosher salt: 1 1/2 teaspoons, plus a little more for flavor; coarse salt melts evenly
• Freshly ground black pepper: 1/4 teaspoon, add more if you like a little kick
• Dried lasagna noodles: 1 pound; pick good ones that aren’t broken or cracked
• Olive oil: To brush on noodles and keep them slick
• Fresh parsley: Half a bunch for bright flavor and garnish; pick lively green leaves
• Lemon: Half a medium lemon for juice that adds brightness
• Garlic: Four cloves finely chopped for that savory punch; fresh is best
• Dry white wine: Half a cup, something like Sauvignon Blanc for sharpness and complexity in the shrimp
• Small raw shrimp: One pound, peeled and cleaned for a sweet, tender bite; fresh or thawed frozen works
• Part-skim ricotta cheese: 3 cups for creamy texture without heaviness; stir well first
• Parmesan cheese: 1 1/2 ounces finely grated to add umami and sharp notes; aged Parmesan is great
• Chunky crab meat: 8 ounces for gentle sweetness; pick out any shells
• Cooked lobster meat: 8 ounces for rich flavor and texture
• Low-moisture mozzarella cheese: 1 pound shredded for gooey, melty layers; fresh shredding gives best results
• Cooking spray: To coat foil and stop sticking

How to Make It

Whip Up the Cream Sauce

Start by melting four tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium pot on medium heat. When melted but not browned, sprinkle one quarter cup of flour and keep stirring for about two minutes until it smells kinda nutty but isn’t dark. Slowly whisk in eight ounces of clam juice, making sure no lumps form. Next, whisk in three cups whole milk. Add one and a half teaspoons kosher salt and a quarter teaspoon black pepper. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring it to a boil, stirring often so it doesn't burn. Lower heat to medium and let it simmer for eight to ten minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you want.

Cook the Noodles

While the sauce is thickening, boil a big pot of salted water. Toss in a pound of dried lasagna noodles and stir now and then so they don’t stick. Cook until just a bit firm to the bite following package times. Drain noodles and rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Shake off water well. Spread them out in a single layer on a big baking sheet. Drizzle or brush olive oil over the noodles to keep them from sticking and overlap them gently if you need to.

Make the Seafood Mix

Chop fresh parsley from half a bunch until you have about a quarter cup for the sauce and save a tablespoon for garnish. Juice half a lemon until you get around a tablespoon. Finely chop four garlic cloves. In a large pan, melt four tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring till golden and smelling yummy, about three minutes. Pour in half a cup of dry white wine and let it bubble until most of the liquid’s gone, around three minutes. Add shrimp and cook gently, stirring sometimes, until they turn pink and just cooked, about four minutes. Take pan off heat. Stir in chopped parsley, lemon juice, and a quarter teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and tweak seasoning if needed.

Mix Up the Cheeses

In a medium bowl, combine three cups part-skim ricotta, three quarters cup grated Parmesan, one and a quarter teaspoons kosher salt (spread out), and a quarter teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir it all together and taste. Fix seasoning if it feels off.

Layer It All

Pour half a cup of cream sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan. Spread one third of the noodles on top, overlapping a bit if you want. Spoon half the ricotta cheese mix over the noodles and spread it out. Layer half the shrimp mix, half the crab, and half the lobster on top of that. Sprinkle one cup shredded mozzarella on top evenly. Pour one cup of cream sauce over the mozzarella. Repeat by layering half the leftover noodles, the rest of the ricotta mix, shrimp, crab, lobster, one cup shredded mozzarella, and one cup cream sauce. Put the leftover noodles on top and cover evenly with remaining cream sauce. Sprinkle the remaining two cups of mozzarella on the very top.

Bake and Serve

Spray a big piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the dish loosely with the sprayed side down. Put it in a 350°F oven. Bake covered for thirty minutes to warm through. Take off the foil and bake another twenty to twenty-five minutes uncovered until the top looks golden and bubbling. Let it sit for at least fifteen minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with the saved parsley when you serve.

Save Pin

The cream sauce with clam juice is my favorite part. That slight ocean flavor makes the whole dish special. This dish also reminds me of a family reunion where everyone shared laughs and stories over each tasty bite.

Storage Tips

Let the lasagna cool fully before sealing it with foil or plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge up to three days. Warm up pieces gently in the oven or microwave without drying the seafood. For longer storage, freeze it wrapped tightly in foil and plastic wrap for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Ingredient Swaps

If fresh seafood is tricky to get, good-quality frozen shrimp and lobster that’s properly thawed works fine. You can swap clam juice for seafood or chicken broth but the flavor won’t be as fresh and salty. Part-skim ricotta can be exchanged for full-fat ricotta if you want it richer. If you don’t have white wine, you can leave it out or use dry vermouth or white grape juice instead.

Serving Ideas

This goes great with a crisp green salad tossed in lemon dressing to cut through the richness. A cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc pairs nicely too. Warm crusty bread is perfect for mopping up leftover sauce. Finish the meal with a light dessert like lemon sorbet to complement the seafood flavors.

Background Info

Seafood lasagna offers a classy spin on the usual Italian lasagna that normally has meat sauce. Coastal spots where seafood is plenty have created their own versions using shellfish, turning it into a popular specialty. It’s a neat example of Italian cooking mixing local flavors with classic methods to celebrate fresh seafood.

Save Pin

Common Questions

→ How do I cook the noodles best?

Cook dried lasagna noodles in salty boiling water until just a bit firm, rinse under cold water to cool and stop cooking, then drain well. Toss them with a little olive oil so they don’t stick together.

→ What’s the trick to a smooth, thick cream sauce?

Gently cook a butter and flour roux until it’s lightly golden. Slowly add clam juice and milk while stirring. Keep stirring and let it simmer until thick and creamy without lumps.

→ Can I swap the seafood?

Sure thing! You can use scallops or firm white fish in place of shrimp, crab, or lobster. Just keep an eye on cooking times so everything stays tender.

→ How should I layer it for best taste?

Start with cream sauce, then tofu noodles, ricotta mix, seafood, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat so every forkful has a good mix of seafood, cheese, and sauce.

→ What’s the best way to bake it?

Cover the lasagna with foil sprayed with cooking spray to stop sticking. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake more until the top turns golden and bubbling.

→ How long should it sit before cutting?

Let it rest at least 15 minutes after baking to help the layers firm up. This makes cutting neater and flavors come together.