Photo by Sanyi Kumar
Serves 6–8
2/3 of a 16-ounce box lasagna sheets
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped
1 pound raw crabmeat
1 pound raw bay scallops
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
2 cups mozzarella, grated, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
1 16-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
_____
Preheat oven to 350. Lay the lasagna sheets in a large baking dish and pour boiling water over them. Let the sheets rest in the warm bath while other ingredients are being prepared, gently moving them around occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. Add the shrimp, crab and scallops and saute just a few minutes until cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add the white wine and lemon juice, deglaze, and simmer to reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Add the cooked seafood back into the skillet and toss to coat. Remove from heat.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn. Add the flour and stir constantly while cooking on low heat for 2–3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer, stirring often, until white sauce thickens, then remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, stir together ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside; this mixture will be used as the final topping.
In another medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, spinach, bread crumbs, egg, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella and ½ cup of the white sauce.
To assemble lasagna, pour ¼ cup of the white sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-12-by-2-inch casserole dish. Add a layer of lasagna sheets. Add a layer of half of the ricotta cheese mixture and half of the seafood; pour ½ cup of white sauce over it. Add another layer of sheets. Add the remaining half of the seafood and pour ½ cup of the white sauce over it. Add another layer of sheets. Add the remaining ricotta cheese mixture; pour ½ cup of the white sauce over it. Add a final layer of sheets. Pour the rest of the white sauce over it and top with prepared Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, salt, pepper and nutmeg topping.
Bake for 45–60 minutes or until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top.
JOE COLAMONICO, MURRELLS INLET