Lasagne di Pesce (Italian White Lasagna with Seafood)
A creamy Italian style Seafood Lasagna filled with a delicious mix of shrimp, scallops, salmon and cod in a creamy béchamel sauce and baked in layers of wide lasagna noodles. The Italian name for this dish is Pasticcio di Pesce which, translated, is pasta baked in a creamy seafood sauce. It is everything you love about lasagna except in seafood form. This lasagna is perfect as a meatless dish for Lent or if you’re just trying to avoid red meat. The white béchamel sauce is thick, creamy, rich, and ultra-satisfying. It is a perfect sauce for seafood because it lets all the flavours shine.
9-12 lasagna noodles
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
Béchamel Sauce:
3 cups whole milk
5 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. white pepper, freshly ground
olive oil, for drizzling
Filling:
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1½ cups mushrooms, sliced
¾ lb medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined, reserve any liquids
½ lb sea scallops, cut into ¼" thick slices, reserve any liquids
½ lb cod, thawed if using frozen, cut in ½" cubes
½ lb salmon, thawed if using frozen, cut in ½" cubes
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (from 1-2 lemons)
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)
Garnish:
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/155°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Prepare a 9x12" oven-proof baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray, reserve.
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Transfer the drained noodles to a large plate or baking sheet that has been lined with plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. (see notes)
For the Béchamel Sauce:
Heat the milk in a saucepan and keep it warm while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the flour to the butter, and cook stirring, until the flour is well incorporated, about 4 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the hot milk. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce becomes thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat and drizzle a little olive oil on top to keep it from forming a skin. Set aside until needed.
For the Filling:
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the shrimp, scallops (and their liquid, if any), cod and salmon. Cook just until the shrimp begins to turn pink.
Add the reserved béchamel sauce and bring just to a boil, gently mixing the sauce with the seafood. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
To Assemble:
Add ¼ cup of the seafood sauce to the bottom of the dish.
Arrange 1/3 of the noodles on the sauce, cutting to fit the dish. Spoon ¼ of the seafood sauce on the pasta then 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Repeat with the remaining layers, finishing with mozzarella cheese then sprinkle the parsley on top.
Bake until heated through, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 8-10 servings.
Cook's Notes:
- To prevent the boiled noodles from sticking together spray them with oil before stacking them or place parchment paper between them. Cover them with plastic wrap so they don't dry out while you make the sauce and filling.
- Want to skip boiling the noodles? This recipe also works well with fresh lasagna noodles or No-bake noodles. Fresh lasagna noodles can be found in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores.