Frozen seafood for lasagna?

Frozen seafood products are acceptable. Frozen seafood should be defrosted and patted dry with paper towels before use. Unpat-dried seafood can interfere with layering.

Why is my seafood lasagna watery?

Cook the sauce longer until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Otherwise, the sauce will separate the noodles in the lasagna. Mix the sauce thoroughly before using it in the lasagna. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes or more before serving to soak up excess liquid and keep the slices from separating when you cut into the dish.

Using regular lasagna noodles?

Regular noodles can be substituted for oven-ready noodles. Cook regular noodles as directed on the package before making the lasagna. Assemble the lasagna with regular noodles in the same way as with oven-ready noodles. No other ingredient adjustments are needed when substituting regular noodles for oven-ready noodles. Only regular noodles need to be precooked.

What seafood works best here?

I suggest medium shrimp and lump crab meat. Medium shrimp spread more evenly in lasagna than large shrimp. Lobster and scallops can be added to the seafood mixture. Seafood added to lasagna should not be cooked too long before baking.

What white sauce is used?

It is homemade béchamel sauce made with butter and flour, thickened with milk. Heavy cream and garlic are added before Parmesan cheese.

Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab

By Ethan ParkerOct 30, 2026

Prep

25 min

Cook

50 min

Total

75 min

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

This seafood lasagna recipe takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to prepare. An advantage of using oven-ready lasagna noodles is that you don't have to boil an additional pot of water. The time savings are especially helpful on weeknights. I make this seafood lasagna recipe when I am in the mood to eat other baked dishes with melted mozzarella cheese and other cheeses.

I cook the shrimp until pink and set it aside while I make the sauce in the same pan. I return the shrimp to the oven with the crab so it doesn't overcook. I blend the sauce before adding it to the dish.

Layering takes time, but you can do it while working on other lasagna components. When layering sauce in a 9- by 13-inch pan, layer other components of the lasagna evenly to avoid clumping of seafood pieces in certain parts of the lasagna. If available, shred mozzarella and other hard cheeses in block form. Mozzarella and other hard cheeses are recommended for shredded lasagna toppings.

I offer a green salad with lemon dressing or steamed asparagus alongside the main dish or as an option if customers ask for a vegetable. Crusty garlic bread is useful for soaking up sauce on other dishes. Offering a salad means you won't also offer a second cooked vegetable dish.

What makes this special

Oven-ready noodles do not need to be boiled and drained. All ingredients can be cooked in a pan and baking dish.
The shrimp is cooked in the same skillet as the sauce to save pans when serving multiple courses.
The pattern of layers occurs multiple times in the item.
Foil ensures it cooks correctly the first time without burning the mozzarella.
One baking dish feeds eight people in a group.
No special tools or equipment other than pots and pans, two bowls, a 9x13-inch baking dish, and aluminum foil are needed.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, until just pink.

Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set it aside.

Gently combine the cooked shrimp and lump crab meat in a bowl.

Melt the remaining 5 tbsp butter in the same skillet.

Sauté the onion and garlic until soft.

Whisk in the flour and cook the roux for 1 minute.

Pour in the white wine, if using, and deglaze the skillet.

Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth.

Simmer the sauce until thickened.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, Old Bay, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.

Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and parsley in a separate bowl.

Spread a thin layer of white sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Layer in noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the seafood, and one-third of the white sauce.

Repeat the layers with the remaining ricotta mixture, remaining seafood, and another third of the white sauce.

Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden.

Rest the lasagna for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

FAQ

Twelve to 24 hours is acceptable. Assemble the entire dish and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. You may need to cook the meal 10 to 15 minutes longer when serving if it is refrigerated. Additional cooking time applies to covered dishes.

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Dinner Pasta Italian Special Occasions Baking

Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab

Name: Seafood Lasagna with Shrimp and Crab
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp (raw, peeled, and deveined); 8 oz lump crab meat; 6 tbsp butter (divided); 1 small onion (finely minced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional); 3 cups whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles; 15 oz ricotta cheese; 2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded); 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped); salt (to taste); black pepper (to taste)

By Ethan ParkerOct 30, 2026

Prep

25 min

Cook

50 min

Total

75 min

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

What makes this special

Oven-ready noodles do not need to be boiled and drained. All ingredients can be cooked in a pan and baking dish.
The shrimp is cooked in the same skillet as the sauce to save pans when serving multiple courses.
The pattern of layers occurs multiple times in the item.
Foil ensures it cooks correctly the first time without burning the mozzarella.
One baking dish feeds eight people in a group.
No special tools or equipment other than pots and pans, two bowls, a 9x13-inch baking dish, and aluminum foil are needed.

Ingredients

Servings8

•1 lb shrimp (raw, peeled, and deveined)
•8 oz lump crab meat
•6 tbsp butter (divided)
•1 small onion (finely minced)
•4 cloves garlic (minced)
•⅓ cup all-purpose flour
•¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
•3 cups whole milk
•1 cup heavy cream
•1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
•¼ tsp nutmeg
•12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
•15 oz ricotta cheese
•2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
•1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
•¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
•salt (to taste)
•black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2
Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3
Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, until just pink.
4
Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set it aside.
5
Gently combine the cooked shrimp and lump crab meat in a bowl.
6
Melt the remaining 5 tbsp butter in the same skillet.
7
Sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
8
Whisk in the flour and cook the roux for 1 minute.
9
Pour in the white wine, if using, and deglaze the skillet.
10
Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth.
11
Simmer the sauce until thickened.
12
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, Old Bay, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.
13
Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and parsley in a separate bowl.
14
Spread a thin layer of white sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
15
Layer in noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the seafood, and one-third of the white sauce.
16
Repeat the layers with the remaining ricotta mixture, remaining seafood, and another third of the white sauce.
17
Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
18
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
19
Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden.
20
Rest the lasagna for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.