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My creamy seafood lasagna features layers of cheesy white sauce, ricotta cheese, pasta, and a decadent seafood mix. It’s quick to make and perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
Love seafood recipes? Try my sauteed shrimp, honey garlic salmon, and sauteed salmon next.
Don’t get me wrong – I love traditional lasagna made with layers of noodles, a meat ragú, and lots of cheese. But when I feel like mixing things up for dinner, seafood lasagna is always my top choice.
Like my seafood pasta, this seafood lasagna recipe proves seafood and cheese do indeed belong together. It’s one of my favorite recipes that works for an easy weeknight dinner but also for more elegant occasions!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Lasagna for seafood lovers. This unique take on traditional Italian lasagna swaps the ground beef for seafood without skipping out on the rich and creamy elements.
- A guaranteed crowd-pleaser. My lasagna is filling, satisfying, and a comforting casserole everyone will love.
- Minimal prep work. The cheesy béchamel-style sauce, ricotta filling, and seafood layered in this lasagna are all super simple to put together. Assembly is a breeze!
Ingredients needed
- Mixed seafood. You’ll find shrimp, crab, mussels, squid, scallops, and more in bags of frozen mixed seafood. If you can’t find a frozen seafood mix, you can buy your favorite fresh or frozen seafood instead. Just remember to use at least four different types of seafood in the lasagna (you’ll need about 4 ounces of each).
- Olive oil. To sauté the mixed seafood.
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Dried parsley. For flavor and color.
- Fresh lasagna noodles. The beauty of fresh noodles is that you don’t need to pre-boil them. If you don’t want to use fresh noodles, use oven-ready lasagna noodles instead.
- Mozzarella and parmesan. For the final top layer of delicious gooey, melted cheese.
- White sauce. A combination of butter, flour, milk, parmesan cheese, and salt.
For the ricotta mixture filing:
- Ricotta cream. This is a staple in almost any lasagna recipe. Use good-quality, full-fat ricotta for a rich and divine flavor. If you want a higher protein option, try using my whipped cottage cheese.
- Mozzarella. Remember to shred the mozzarella yourself!
- Egg. To help bind the cheese filling together and prevent it from oozing out of the lasagna when you cut into it. The egg can be omitted if you have an aversion, but the consistency of the filling will be runnier.
- Dried parsley. For flavor and a pop of contrasting color within the white sauce.
- Salt. To taste.
How to make seafood lasagna
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Make the white sauce (bechamel). Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and stir until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Finally, stir in the parmesan cheese and set aside.
Step 2 – Make the ricotta filling. Combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, egg, dried parsley, and salt in a bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.
Step 3 – Cook the seafood mix. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet. Once hot, add the thawed seafood mix, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook until the seafood is warmed through and fully cooked.
Step 4- Assemble. Spread some of the white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, then spread some of the ricotta cheese filling on top. Follow with a layer of the seafood mix, then another layer of white sauce. Repeat two more times and finish it off with a final layer of white sauce, freshly grated mozzarella, and parmesan on top.
Step 5 – Bake and serve
Bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is gooey. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes out of the oven, then slice and serve!
Arman’s recipe tips
- If your lasagna noodles need to be boiled ahead of time, make sure you give them plenty of time to cool. You risk melting the cheese filling if the noodles are hot, resulting in a watery and less sturdy seafood lasagna.
- If your seafood mix is frozen, place the bag in the fridge for a few hours or overnight so it has a chance to thaw fully.
- Fresh seafood can also be used! Just make sure it’s fully cooked before layering it in the lasagna.
- Take your time to carefully assemble the lasagna. Remember your goal: there should be cheese, noodles, and seafood in every bite.
- Extra cheese is always a plus. I sometimes double the amount on top for cheesy goodness in every bite.
Variations
- Use red sauce. If you prefer marinara sauce to white sauce, simply swap it for your favorite store-bought or homemade red sauce. My Pomodoro Sauce or sugo would be fantastic here.
- Add veggies. Add quick-cooking veggies to the pan with the thawed seafood mixture, like onions, mushrooms, garlic, and spinach.
- Change up the cheese. I typically stick with mozzarella and parmesan, but cheddar cheese, pepper Jack cheese, or provolone are all other fantastic options.
Storage instructions
To store. Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To freeze. It’s best to freeze the individual portions of leftover seafood lasagna in airtight containers for easy reheating. Keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat. For the best texture, I recommend reheating the slices of lasagna in an aluminum foil covered baking dish in a 350ºF lasagna until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
Yes and no. I don’t recommend preparing the seafood mix ahead of time as its fresh flavor deteriorates quickly. You can, however, make the white sauce and the cheese filling up to 2 days before assembly. Keep both in separate containers in the fridge. Then, when it’s time to cook, gently reheat the white sauce in a skillet over medium heat before using it in the lasagna.
For sure! All you need to do is use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles. As for the sauce, you can use my cottage cheese alfredo, as it is made without flour.
While this lasagna tastes best when made with mixed seafood, using just shrimp, fish, or even mussels will work.
More unique lasagna recipes
Seafood Lasagna
Video
Ingredients
Bechamel white sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheese sauce filling
- 10 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Lasagna
- 1 pound seafood mix
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 lb lasagna noodles fresh
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Prepare the bechamel sauce. Melt butter in a saucepot, over medium heat. Add flour and cook for one minute. Add milk and stir regularly, until the sauce is gently thickened. Stir in parmesan cheese then remove from the heat.
- Prepare the cheese filling; combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a skillet. Once hot, add seafood mix, salt, pepper, and parsley, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Assemble the lasagna. Place some of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Add lasagna sheets over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the lasagna sheets, followed by 1/3 of the seafood mix, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat layers, and finish with grated mozzarella and freshly grated parmesan.
- Bake the lasagna for 35 minutes. If the tops are browning too quickly, add some tin foil and bake until the cheese is melted.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for several minutes, before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published March 2023, updated and republished August 2024
I love seafood lasagna. I have made it this way in the past, but have also made it with a Newburgh sauce, which is just as delicious.
So different meal. Lasagne with seafoods should be amazing!
Never made lasagna before. This can the my new lasagna first time ever! So excited!