Easy Seafood Lasagna

Seafood Lasagna is a creamy, decadent twist on tradition, with layers of pasta, rich white sauce, and a medley of shrimp, crab, and lobster. The flavors blend beautifully, creating a dish that feels both comforting and elegant. Every bite is cheesy, indulgent, and full of coastal flair. It’s the kind of recipe that turns an ordinary dinner into something unforgettable.

Love More Seafood Recipes? Try My Mediterranean Baked Fish or this Seafood Stuffed Shells next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The beauty of this seafood lasagna is in the balance of textures and flavors. Sweet lobster melts into the creamy layers, crab brings a subtle richness, and shrimp adds just the right amount of bite. The silky white sauce ties everything together without overpowering the seafood, letting each ingredient shine. It’s a crowd-pleaser for any occasion, from family dinners to potlucks, and it never fails to get recipe requests.

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Ingredient List

Seafood & Aromatics

• 1 bottle clam juice (8 oz) – don’t skip this
• 8 oz cooked lobster meat, chopped up
• 8 oz lump crab meat (pick out shells carefully)
• 1 lb small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 garlic cloves, minced fine
• Half a lemon (juice and the peel stuff – zest)
• Half bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• Half cup dry white wine (or more clam juice)

Pasta & Cheese

• 1 lb lasagna noodles (the regular box kind)
• 3 cups ricotta cheese (part-skim is fine)
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella (low-moisture type)
• 1½ oz grated Parmesan (get the good stuff, not the shaker)

Cream Sauce

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Quarter cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk (don’t use skim)
• 2¾ tsp kosher salt
• Half tsp black pepper

Substitution Notes: No lobster at the store? Double the crab or use scallops. Hate wine? Use more clam juice or chicken broth. Costco frozen seafood works fine – just thaw it completely and squeeze out every drop of water with paper towels. Fresh is better but frozen won’t ruin it.

Why These Ingredients Work

Clam juice makes everything taste like the ocean without being fishy. My dad taught me that trick for chowder. Three types of seafood because they all bring something different – lobster’s rich and meaty, crab’s sweet and delicate, shrimp adds that bouncy texture kids love.

White sauce instead of red was my breakthrough moment. Red sauce fights with delicate seafood flavors. Ricotta keeps everything creamy between layers and helps it hold together when you cut it. Mozzarella melts into those cheese strings everyone fights over.

The lemon brightens everything up. Without it, the dish tastes heavy. Garlic adds depth but don’t go crazy or it overpowers the seafood. Parsley looks pretty and adds freshness. Wine cooks out but leaves flavor behind.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big pot for boiling noodles
• Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan for sauce
• Good whisk (cheap ones break)
• 9×13 inch baking dish (glass or metal both work)
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium bowl for seafood
• Fine-mesh strainer for crab picking
• Kitchen towels for noodle drying
• Aluminum foil
• Sharp knife for cutting lobster
• Measuring cups and spoons

How To Make Seafood Lasagna

1. Cook the Noodles

Fill your biggest pot with water and bring to rolling boil. Add tablespoon of salt and tablespoon of oil. Cook noodles according to box directions but check them a minute early – you want them just tender, not mushy. They’ll finish cooking in the oven.

Drain in colander and immediately lay flat on clean kitchen towels. Don’t let them sit in the water or they’ll turn to mush. If they stick together, gently separate with your fingers while they’re still warm.

2. Make the Cream Sauce

This is where most people mess up, so pay attention. Melt butter in your saucepan over medium heat – not high or it burns. Add flour and whisk constantly for 2 full minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste nobody wants.

Now the tricky part – add milk very slowly while whisking like crazy. I mean really slowly, like a thin stream. If you dump it all in, you get lumps. After all the milk is in, add the clam juice and keep stirring. Let it bubble gently until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Taste it – should be creamy and rich, not bland.

3. Prepare the Seafood Filling

In your large bowl, mix ricotta with lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste this too – it should be bright and flavorful, not boring. This becomes your creamy base layer.

In the medium bowl, gently combine chopped lobster, picked-over crab meat, raw shrimp, chopped parsley, and wine. Be gentle with the crab so you don’t break up those pretty lumps. The shrimp will cook perfectly in the oven, so don’t worry about pre-cooking them.

Check the crab one more time for shell pieces. I can’t stress this enough – one shell piece ruins the whole experience.

4. Build Your Masterpiece

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Spread thin layer of cream sauce on the bottom – this prevents sticking.

Now layer like this: 3-4 noodles (slightly overlapping is fine), half the ricotta mixture spread evenly, half the seafood mixture distributed around, third of remaining cream sauce, third of the mozzarella.

Repeat the layers once more: noodles, remaining ricotta, remaining seafood, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining mozzarella.

Top with final layer of noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella, and extra Parmesan if you have it.

5. Bake to Golden Perfection

Cover tightly with foil (don’t let it touch the cheese). Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove foil carefully – steam will escape. Bake uncovered another 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around edges.

If you want extra browning, pop it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, but watch it like a hawk so it doesn’t burn. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting – this is crucial for clean slices. I know it’s torture to wait, but trust me.

You Must Know

Pick through that crab meat twice. I ruined my first dinner party when someone bit down on a shell piece. Use your fingers and really feel around for any hard bits.

Personal Secret: Always save half cup of pasta cooking water. If your sauce gets too thick while making it, add a splash. The starch helps everything bind together perfectly. My grandmother taught me this and it saves so many sauces.

Temperature Matters: Let all dairy come to room temperature before starting. Cold ricotta doesn’t mix well and cold milk makes lumpy sauce. Plan ahead and pull everything out an hour early.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Preventing Watery Lasagna: Pat seafood completely dry with paper towels before using. Squeeze frozen seafood in clean kitchen towel to remove all moisture. Don’t skip the resting time after baking – this lets everything set up properly.

Sauce Troubleshooting: Lumpy sauce? Pour through fine strainer or hit with immersion blender. Too thin? Cook longer uncovered. Too thick? Add pasta water or more milk.

Make It Look Pretty: Save few pieces of nice crab and some whole shrimp to arrange on top before final cheese layer. Sprinkle fresh parsley over finished dish.

Smart Shortcuts: Pre-shredded cheese works fine. Bottled lemon juice works too, though fresh tastes better. You can use jarred minced garlic if you’re in a hurry.

Common Mistakes: Don’t overcook the noodles. Don’t rush the sauce. Don’t skip the resting time. Don’t use too much seafood or it gets mushy.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Mediterranean Style: Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil to ricotta layer. Use feta cheese mixed with mozzarella.

Spinach Addition: Thaw frozen spinach completely, squeeze dry, and mix into ricotta. Adds color and nutrients without changing flavor much.

Herb Upgrades: Try fresh dill instead of parsley. Add fresh thyme to the sauce. Chives work great too.

Cheese Swaps: Mix in some Gruyere with the mozzarella for nutty flavor. Add cream cheese to ricotta for extra richness.

Wine Alternatives: Dry vermouth works great. Even beer works if that’s what you have open.

Make-Ahead Options

This is actually one of those dishes that’s better the next day. You can assemble the whole thing up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Just add 15 minutes to the baking time since it starts cold.

For longer storage, wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Freezes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before baking, then add 20 minutes to cooking time.

You can also make components ahead. Sauce keeps in fridge for 3 days. Seafood mixture should be used same day. Ricotta mixture keeps 2 days covered.

Reheating Tips: Individual pieces reheat great in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Whole thing goes back in 350°F oven covered for 20 minutes. Don’t use high heat or the seafood gets rubbery.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The clam juice really is the secret ingredient here. It adds that ocean depth without making anything taste fishy. Don’t substitute with fish stock – too strong.

Watch the sauce consistency carefully. It should coat a spoon but still pour easily. Remember it thickens as it cools and again in the oven.

Raw shrimp cook perfectly in the oven. Pre-cooked shrimp get rubbery and tough. Trust the process.

Let it rest after baking. I know everyone’s hungry but cutting too soon makes a mess. Use this time to make salad and open wine.

Serving Suggestions

This pairs beautifully with crisp white wine – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or even Chardonnay. Beer drinkers should try wheat beer or light lager.

Simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness perfectly. Don’t do anything heavy – the lasagna is the star.

Crusty bread is mandatory for sopping up any extra sauce on plates. Garlic bread might be overkill though.

Fresh herbs make gorgeous garnish – parsley, chives, or dill all work. Lemon wedges on the side let people brighten their own portions.

I hope this becomes your new special occasion go-to recipe. Makes any Tuesday night feel like a celebration. My family requests it for birthdays now instead of cake.

How to Store Your Seafood Lasagna

Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 3 days. Individual portions reheat in microwave for 1-2 minutes. For whole portions, cover with foil and reheat in 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Don’t freeze leftovers – the texture changes and seafood gets rubbery. Make sure to use within 3 days for best quality and food safety.

Store covered tightly to prevent it from drying out. Glass containers work better than plastic for reheating.

Allergy Information

Contains: dairy (milk, cheese), shellfish (lobster, crab, shrimp), gluten (pasta, flour), possible sulfites (wine).

Dairy-Free Adaptations: Use coconut milk in sauce, dairy-free cheese alternatives, and cashew ricotta. Results won’t be identical but still tasty.

Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free lasagna noodles and cornstarch instead of flour in sauce. Check that wine is gluten-free too.

Shellfish Alternatives: Firm white fish like cod or halibut works, though texture will be different. Salmon makes it too fishy.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use frozen seafood?

Absolutely. Just thaw completely overnight in fridge and pat very dry with paper towels. Squeeze frozen shrimp in clean kitchen towel to remove excess water.

My sauce turned out lumpy, what do I do?

Pour through fine-mesh strainer or blend with immersion blender. Next time add milk more slowly while whisking constantly.

My lasagna fell apart when I cut it, why?

Probably didn’t let it rest long enough, or noodles were overcooked, or too much liquid in the seafood. Let it sit 15 minutes minimum after baking.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Tell me how it went, what you changed, and if your family loved it as much as mine does.