This Mediterranean Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp & Crab has a rich and creamy texture. We prepare this seafood lasagna with tender lasagna noodles, juicy shrimp, sweet lump crab meat, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, fresh spinach, garlic, onions, olive oil, Mediterranean herbs, and a creamy homemade white sauce. This lasagna contains approximately 24 g net carbs and 430 calories. We make this lasagna in just 45 minutes. This Mediterranean Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp & Crab is ideal for elegant dinners, holiday gatherings, seafood feasts, family meals, special occasions, weekend comfort food, and Mediterranean diet menus. This lasagna can be refrigerated for almost three days and frozen for nearly two months, so you can easily prepare it earlier. You can serve this seafood lasagna with Greek Cucumber Salad, Garlic Parmesan Focaccia, Roasted Asparagus, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, or Lemon Herb Soup.
STATS:
- Course: Main Course
- Diet: Mediterranean Diet
- Caloric Content: 430 kcal
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Cooking method: Baking
- Overall yields: 8
- Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
- Overall duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
TOOLS:
- Skillet
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Baking dish
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Colander
- Aluminum foil
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
INGREDIENTS:
SEAFOOD FILLING:
- One pound of shrimp
- 12 ounces of lump crab meat
- Olive oil, two tablespoons
- Four garlic pieces
- One little onion
- One teaspoon of oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 cups spinach
RICOTTA LAYER:
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp parsley
- ½ tsp black pepper
CREAM SAUCE:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
- 12 lasagna noodles
- Two cups of mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp basil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
INGREDIENT NOTES AND THEIR SUBSTITUTIONS:
SHRIMP:
- We use shrimp to give this lasagna a tender and juicy texture. You can substitute it with scallops, lobster chunks, or firm white fish pieces.
CRAB MEAT:
- Crab meat provides a naturally sweet taste and luxurious seafood texture to this cuisine. As an alternative, you can use imitation crab, lobster meat, or extra shrimp.
RICOTTA CHEESE:
- Ricotta cheese creates a smooth and creamy layer for this lasagna. Instead, you can use cottage cheese, mascarpone, or blended cream cheese.
SPINACH:
- Spinach is used to give freshness, color, and light nutrition to the lasagna. You may replace it with kale, Swiss chard, or arugula.
PARMESAN CHEESE:
- Parmesan cheese improves the dish with a salty and nutty Mediterranean flavor. As a substitute, you can use Pecorino Romano or Asiago cheese.
LASAGNA NOODLES:
- These noodles provide structure and classic layered texture to this dish. Alternatively, you can use whole wheat lasagna sheets or thin zucchini slices.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Cook the lasagna noodles as mentioned on the package.
- Strain them and gently coat with olive oil to avoid sticking.
- Warm the oil and include onions, and cook till they are softened, for about three minutes.
- Cool the garlic for approximately half a minute, or till it becomes flavorful.
- Whisk in the pepper, shrimp, salt, oregano, basil, and paprika.
- Cook till the shrimp becomes pink, for about four minutes.
- Mix in the spinach and crab meat, and cook for an extra two minutes.
- In a dish, combine the egg, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, parsley, and black pepper.
- In a saucepan, slowly warm the butter.
- To make a roux, include the flour and gently cook for about a minute.
- Include the milk & heavy cream & mix gently till smooth.
- Cook till the mixture is lightly thickened, for about five minutes.
- Whisk in the pepper, Parmesan cheese, salt, and nutmeg.
- Slowly cook them till they are thickened.
- Coat a dish and preheat the empty oven at 190°C.
- Distribute one thin cream sauce layer on the bottom.
- Make a layer of noodles, a second layer of ricotta mixture, a third layer of seafood filling, a fourth layer of mozzarella cheese, and a last layer of cream sauce.
- Include more layers till every component is used.
- Put cream sauce and mozzarella on the surface.
- We sprinkle the fresh basil on the surface.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes after wrapping in foil.
- Uncover the foil and bake for an additional fifteen minutes, until the texture is golden and bubbling.
- Cool this lasagna for about ten minutes, then slice it and serve.
TIPS:
- Cool this lasagna for some time and then make clean slices.
- Include a small amount of red pepper flakes to get a spicy taste.
- Before cooking, completely dry the shrimp to prevent extra moisture content.
- Include the olives or chopped sun-dried tomatoes for an additional Mediterranean flavor.
- For optimal flavor and melting, we choose freshly grated Parmesan.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
SALADS:
- Greek Cucumber & Tomato
- Mediterranean Quinoa
- Lemon Herb Arugula
- Chickpea Olive
- Spinach Feta
ARTISAN BREADS:
- Garlic Parmesan Focaccia
- Rustic Ciabatta Bread
- Herb Butter Breadsticks
- Mediterranean Olive Bread
- Toasted Sourdough Slices
VEGETABLES:
- Lemon Roasted Asparagus
- Garlic Herb Zucchini
- Roasted Bell Peppers
- Mediterranean Eggplant Medley
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
SEAFOOD SIDES:
- Garlic Butter Mussels
- Lemon Herb Scallops
- Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- Citrus Herb Calamari
SOUPS:
- Roasted Tomato Basil
- Mediterranean Lentil
- Creamy Cauliflower
- Lemon Chicken Orzo
- Roasted Red Pepper
APPETIZERS:
- Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Marinated Olives & Feta
- Hummus with Pita Chips
- Tzatziki with Vegetables
- Bruschetta with Tomato & Basil
BEVERAGES:
- Sparkling Lemon Water
- Fresh Mint Iced Tea
- Citrus Cucumber Cooler
- Pomegranate Spritzer
- Chilled White Grape Juice
STORAGE INFORMATION:
FRIDGE:
- Store the leftover seafood lasagna in a sealed container for nearly three days.
FREEZER:
- Tightly cover the completely cooled lasagna with plastic wrap and store for only two months.
FAQs:
Will we utilize red sauce as a replacement for cream sauce?
- Yes, you can use the red sauce, although the tastes are more subtly complemented by the creamy white sauce.
May we utilize frozen seafood?
- Yes, you can use the frozen seafood, but completely dry the crab and shrimp before cooking to avoid watery lasagna.
Could we prepare this lasagna earlier?
- Sure, you can assemble this lasagna more than twenty-four hours earlier.
How could we avoid a watery lasagna?
- Perfectly strain the seafood and do not cook the spinach for an additional time, and then bake it.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 430 kcal
Sodium: 690 mg
Net carbs: 24 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 5 g
Fats: 21 g
Proteins: 34 g
Total carbs: 26 g