Creamy Seafood Lasagna with Salmon and Shrimp
By Pauline Ortiz
Servings
4
Level
Medium
This creamy seafood lasagna fills a 9x13 dish for a planned dinner, with salmon and shrimp tucked between wavy noodles and white sauce before baking. I finish it with parsley after the pan rests, when the cheese has browned and a corner piece comes out in stacked layers (the edges are my favorite).
I sear the salmon for two minutes, then give the shrimp only 60 to 90 seconds in the skillet, and they should barely turn pink before going into the pan, where they finish cooking between the hot pasta layers. Starting with dry seafood keeps extra water out of the sauce.
The béchamel needs a heavy-bottomed saucepan and steady whisking as the milk and cream go in. I pull it from the heat when it heavily coats the back of a wooden spoon, then cook the noodles two minutes short of the package time. Soft noodles break down in the oven and the slices lose their separate layers.
Cover every top noodle with sauce before the dish goes into the oven, or exposed edges turn hard. I use mozzarella from a block for the browned top, then rest the bake before cutting. An arugula salad with sharp lemon vinaigrette is a good side for a full plate (I like the lemon with the cream sauce).
Why you'll love this recipe
- One 9x13 pan gives you a full bake for a planned dinner, and you'll have portions for later lunches.
- Salmon and shrimp are divided between two layers, so the seafood is spread through the pan instead of collecting in one corner.
- Make the sauce before assembly. The layering work stays organized while you're putting the pan together.
- Noodles cook two minutes short of the package directions, then finish in the oven without falling apart.
- A 15 to 20 minute rest gives slices that hold their stacked layers.
- The sturdy flat spatula gets under a corner piece without tearing through the bottom noodle.
Ingredients
- •12 oz dried wavy-edged lasagna noodles ((340g))
- •1 lb salmon fillets ((450g), skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks)
- •1 lb small raw shrimp ((450g), peeled, deveined, and tails removed)
- •1 tbsp olive oil ((15ml))
- •½ cup unsalted butter ((113g))
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •½ cup all-purpose flour ((60g))
- •3 cups whole milk ((710ml))
- •1 cup heavy cream ((240ml))
- •1 tsp kosher salt ((5g), plus a pinch for the seafood)
- •½ tsp cracked black pepper ((2g), plus a pinch for the seafood)
- •¼ tsp ground nutmeg ((1g))
- •4 cups low-moisture whole milk mozzarella cheese ((450g), freshly grated from the block)
- •2 tbsp fresh parsley ((10g), finely chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 2
Season the salmon chunks and shrimp with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 3
Sear the salmon for exactly 2 minutes, until the edges turn slightly opaque, then remove it from the skillet.
- 4
Cook the shrimp in the same skillet for 60 to 90 seconds, until they barely turn pink.
- 5
Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- 6
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 7
Whisk in the flour and cook the roux for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until it smells nutty but stays pale.
- 8
Slowly whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream.
- 9
Simmer the sauce for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring continuously, until it heavily coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- 10
Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, and nutmeg, then remove the sauce from the heat.
- 11
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil.
- 12
Cook the lasagna noodles for 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
- 13
Drain the noodles and lay them flat on parchment paper.
- 14
Spread a thin, even layer of sauce across the bottom of a 9×13-inch (23x33cm) rectangular white ceramic baking dish.
- 15
Arrange 3 to 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly.
- 16
Ladle sauce over the noodles, then scatter half the salmon and half the shrimp over it.
- 17
Sprinkle 1 cup (115g) of mozzarella over the seafood.
- 18
Repeat the layering process for the second layer.
- 19
Arrange the final noodles on top and cover them completely with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
- 20
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, keeping the foil from touching the cheese, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes.
- 21
Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
- 22
Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese has golden-brown, blistered spots.
- 23
Rest the lasagna for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
- 24
Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top before serving.
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