Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe is like the ultimate comfort dish that combines the decadence of creamy, cheesy layers with the bright, delicate flavors of the sea. Honestly, making this in my kitchen feels like a mini celebration every time, and I can't wait to share it with you!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe stands out because it takes the classic comfort of lasagna and elevates it with fresh seafood and a rich, creamy sauce. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and the flavors will have you feeling like you're dining at a cozy seaside bistro.
- Fresh, indulgent flavors: The combination of shrimp, crab, and clam juice creates a seafood flavor that's vibrant but not overpowering.
- Velvety white sauce: A homemade, creamy sauce thickened with butter and flour brings the whole dish together beautifully.
- Easy layering process: The assembly is straightforward with oven-ready noodles, meaning less fuss and a perfect bake every time.
- Impressive yet comforting: It looks stunning on the table but feels like a cozy hug on a plate.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in this Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe plays a vital role in layering flavors and textures. From the creamy sauce to the fresh shellfish and the melty mozzarella, everything harmonizes beautifully. Shopping tip: Use the freshest shellfish you can find—it makes a world of difference.
- Unsalted butter: The base for your roux, giving the sauce a smooth and rich start without added saltiness.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the sauce perfectly for that luscious, creamy texture you want.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and helps create that luxurious mouthfeel essential in seafood lasagna.
- Clam juice: Infuses the sauce with authentic ocean flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Garlic powder & onion powder: These provide subtle depth and savory undertones that blend in beautifully.
- Ground nutmeg (optional): A little warmth to elevate the béchamel style sauce without overshadowing the seafood.
- Italian seasoning: Brings in herbs that complement the seafood and cheese wonderfully.
- Parmesan cheese: Sharpness and saltiness that melt smoothly into the sauce.
- Kosher salt & black pepper: Essential for seasoning everything just right.
- Olive oil: Sautéing onions and shrimp with olive oil adds subtle richness.
- Medium onion: Adds a sweet, aromatic base when sautéed.
- Shrimp: Small, peeled, and deveined—cooks quickly and offers a tender bite.
- Lump crab meat: Choose fresh or high-quality canned for sweet, delicate chunks that don’t overpower.
- Fresh parsley: Adds brightness and color, enhancing the seafood flavors.
- Oven-ready lasagna noodles: Saves time and makes layering much simpler.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: Melts beautifully, binding the layers with gooey richness.
Make It Your Way
I love playing around with this Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe depending on the season or what I have on hand. It’s perfectly forgiving, so you can easily swap out ingredients or adjust flavors to suit your taste.
- Variation: Sometimes I add a handful of chopped spinach or kale between layers for a pop of green and extra nutrients—it’s a nice way to sneak in some veggies.
- Spice it up: If you like a little heat, stir in some red pepper flakes with the seasonings; it adds a subtle kick without overpowering the seafood.
- Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free oven-ready lasagna noodles or substitute with thinly sliced zucchini for a lighter twist that’s just as tasty.
- Cheese swap: Feel free to mix mozzarella with fontina or provolone for a more complex cheese flavor.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe
Step 1: Whip up the dreamy creamy sauce
Start by melting the butter over medium heat and whisking in the flour until it's smooth—that's your roux, the magic thickener. Slowly add the heavy cream and clam juice while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. This part takes about 5-7 minutes on the stove until it thickens to a velvety sauce. Add your seasonings—garlic and onion powders, Italian herbs, nutmeg, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Keep tasting as you go; seasoning the sauce well is key to a flavorful lasagna base.
Step 2: Sauté the shrimp and onions
Heat olive oil in a skillet and gently cook the chopped onion until soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Toss in the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink, around 2-3 minutes. Watch closely here—shrimp overcooks quickly and becomes rubbery, so pull them off the heat promptly. Fold in the crab meat gently with fresh parsley. This is your seafood filling, so be gentle to keep those crab lumps intact.
Step 3: Build your layers like a pro
Spread a light coating of the creamy sauce on the bottom of your greased baking dish to keep the noodles from sticking. Layer the oven-ready noodles over the sauce, overlapping slightly if needed. Top with a third of your seafood mixture, then a third of the sauce, followed by a third of shredded mozzarella. Repeat this two more times — it’s like assembling edible jewelry. Finish with a final noodle layer topped by the remaining sauce and cheese.
Step 4: Bake to golden bubbly perfection
Cover your dish tightly with foil to prevent the cheese topping from burning. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Afterwards, let it rest for 10 minutes—it helps the layers set so you get perfect slices that hold together beautifully.
Top Tip
Having made Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe many times, I’ve learned that attention to timing and seasoning really makes the difference between good and unforgettable. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Perfect sauce thickness: Don’t rush the sauce—let it get thick enough, but not too thick, so it layers nicely without being gluey.
- Shrimp watch: Remove shrimp from heat as soon as they turn pink to avoid rubbery seafood.
- Layering tip: Spread each layer evenly, especially the sauce, to get that creamy, saucy bite in every forkful.
- Rest after baking: Give the lasagna at least 10 minutes to rest before slicing. It makes serving much easier and looks prettier on the plate.
How to Serve Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe
Garnishes
I always top my lasagna with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley to add a pop of green freshness and a light herbal note that balances the richness. Sometimes, a little lemon zest grated on top right before serving brightens up the seafood flavors beautifully.
Side Dishes
Simple sides work best here. I like serving this with a crisp green salad dressed lightly in lemon vinaigrette and some roasted garlic bread on the side. The salad cuts through the richness, and the bread soaks up any leftover sauce—total winner combo.
Creative Ways to Present
For special occasions, try assembling this seafood lasagna in individual ramekins for personalized servings—they look adorable and elegant. You can also sprinkle some toasted breadcrumbs mixed with herbs on top before the final bake to add a crunchy finish that contrasts nicely with the creamy layers.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled, I tightly cover leftovers with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then store in the fridge. It keeps beautifully for up to 3 days. When reheating, I find it’s best to pop it in the oven to keep the texture nice rather than microwaving straight—microwaves can make the noodles a bit rubbery.
Freezing
This lasagna freezes surprisingly well. I assemble it fully but don’t bake, then wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight and bake covered, adding a bit more baking time to ensure it’s heated through and bubbly.
Reheating
To reheat, cover the lasagna with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Removing the foil in the last 5-10 minutes helps re-melt the cheese topping to that perfect golden finish. This method keeps the texture and flavors spot on.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Just be sure to thaw them fully and pat dry before cooking to avoid excess moisture that can make the lasagna watery.
Nope. That’s the beauty of using oven-ready noodles—they cook perfectly in the sauce and steam of the lasagna while baking, saving you time and hassle.
Definitely! You can prepare the entire lasagna a day in advance, keep it covered in the fridge, and bake it when you’re ready. It’s a great time saver for busy days or entertaining.
Covering your lasagna tightly with foil for the first part of baking traps moisture and prevents the cheese from burning. Removing the foil near the end allows the top to brown to that perfect golden color.
Final Thoughts
This Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab Recipe feels like one of those special dishes I look forward to making anytime I want to impress or just treat myself to something truly delicious. It’s the perfect blend of indulgence and comfort, and once you’ve tasted it, I’m confident you’ll want to make it again and again. Trust me—grab some fresh seafood and get layering, because this is the kind of recipe worth savoring with good company and a glass of white wine.
Print
Delicious Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rest Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
This creamy and indulgent Seafood Lasagna recipe combines tender shrimp, succulent lump crab meat, and a rich white sauce infused with clam juice and Italian seasoning. Layered with oven-ready lasagna noodles and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, this dish bakes into a golden, bubbly casserole perfect for special dinners or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup clam juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ 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
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Lasagna
- 9-12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and 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 until smooth. Cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually add the heavy cream and clam juice while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook the sauce for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg (if using), Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Sauté Seafood: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the finely chopped onion for 3–4 minutes until soft. Add the shrimp and cook for 2–3 minutes until they turn pink. Remove from heat, then gently fold in lump crab meat and chopped fresh parsley.
- Assemble Layers: Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add enough lasagna noodles to cover the bottom, overlapping slightly if necessary. 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 these layers two more times, finishing with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the last of the shredded mozzarella.
- Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, ensuring the foil does not touch the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the layers to set. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and enjoy your creamy seafood lasagna!
Notes
- Oven-ready noodles eliminate the need to boil, but if using traditional noodles, boil according to package instructions before layering.
- You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter sauce, though it may be less rich.
- Fresh seafood can be substituted with frozen; ensure thawed and patted dry before cooking.
- Adjust seasoning to taste; adding a pinch of red pepper flakes can give the sauce a gentle kick.
- Allowing the lasagna to rest after baking helps prevent it from falling apart when sliced.
- Make ahead by assembling and refrigerating for up to 24 hours before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
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