This creamy seafood lasagna puts a twist on classic lasagna! Made with layers of cheesy white sauce, ricotta cheese, pasta, and a decadent seafood mix, it’s still a quick and easy recipe you can make during the week, for dinner parties, holidays, and more.
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. Imagine multiple layers of fresh lasagna noodles, a simple white sauce enriched with parmesan cheese, a ricotta-mozzarella filling, and a divine medley of seafood in every bite. It’s life-changing!
The best seafood lasagna recipe
Making lasagna with seafood uses similar ingredients and methods as the true Italian recipe. But it’s the fresh seafood mix and herbaceous, complimentary flavors that sets this twist on a classic apart from the rest.
- 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. Similar to linguine with clams, this 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!
Lasagna lover? Remember to save my Keto Lasagna and Lasagna with Cottage Cheese recipes as well.
Each layer of this pescetarian-friendly lasagna is made with no-frills, easy-to-prepare ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the white sauce:
- Butter. Melted butter gets the béchamel sauce started before the flour, milk, and cheese are added.
- Flour. To help thicken the roux.
- Milk. The milk thickens the roux into a silky béchamel-style sauce.
- Parmesan cheese. Use freshly grated cheese from the block. It melts and tastes much better than the pre-shredded bagged stuff.
- Salt. To taste.
For the cheese filing:
- Ricotta. This is a staple in almost any lasagna recipe. Use good-quality, full-fat ricotta for a rich and divine flavor.
Substitute idea
Cottage cheese is a fantastic substitute for ricotta. The two look, taste, and feel very similar, so you won’t even notice the switch! As recommended in my Cottage Cheese Lasagna recipe, choose whole milk cottage cheese and either small curd or smooth.
- 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.
For the lasagna:
- Mixed seafood. You’ll find shrimp, mussels, squid, 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).
Upgrade idea
You can upgrade the lasagna with premium fresh or frozen seafood, like lobster or crab.
- Olive oil. To sauté the mixed seafood.
- Salt and 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.
How to make seafood lasagna
This seafood lasagna consists of layer after layer of cheesy, seafood goodness. Here’s how to put it together:
Step 1 – Make the white sauce (bechamel)
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, 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 the lasagna
To start, 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!
- 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.
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 would be fantastic here.
- Add veggies. Add quick-cooking veggies to the pan with the thawed seafood mixture, like onions, mushrooms, garlic, and spinach.
What to serve with seafood lasagna
This seafood lasagna with white sauce is quite satisfying on its own, but crusty bread or garlic bread is always welcome on the side. For a well-rounded meal, don’t forget the simple veggie side dishes! Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and green salad will lighten things up a bit.
To store. Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge 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. They freeze well for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat. For the best texture, I recommend reheating the slices of lasagna in a covered baking dish in a 350ºF lasagna until warmed through.
More seafood dinner ideas
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Shrimp Pesto Pasta
- Seafood Boil with Seafood Boil Sauce
- Crawfish Etouffee
- Keto Jambalaya
Yes and no. I don’t recommend preparing the seafood mix ahead 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 or swap them for sliced zucchini or eggplant instead, as I’ve done in my Zucchini Lasagna and Eggplant Lasagna recipes.
As for the sauce, this keto alfredo sauce is made without flour, naturally gluten free, and very similar to the white sauce used in this recipe.
While this lasagna tastes best when made with mixed seafood, using just shrimp or fish or even mussels will work.
Seafood Lasagna
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 lb 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
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