Lasagna is the perfect make-ahead recipe to serve to a crowd because nearly everyone likes it and you don’t need to add much to round out a menu when you serve it, except for a salad and maybe some bread. One idea for an appetizer to serve with this favorite Italian dish, is the recipe I shared with you in my last post for Michael Chiarello’s Spinach Arancini.
I recently made an unusual (but delicious) version of Creamy Seafood Lasagna from Betty Crocker’s big red cookbook for friends we invited to our cabin on a recent Saturday night. Everyone seemed to love it and in fact, I packed up the last piece left to send home with our friend, Tom. There are lots of other recipes (at least 40 of them) for lasagna on our Betty Croker website. (Click on the highlighted "lasagna" to find them.)
Creamy Seafood Lasagna
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
2 packages (8 oz each) frozen salad-style imitation crabmeat, thawed and chopped
2 packages (4 oz each) frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed and drained
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add flour. Cook and stir until bubbly; remove from heat. Gradually stir in half and half, broth, sherry and pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and parsley; set aside.
4. Drain noodles. In ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of the sauce. Top with 3 noodles. Spread half of the crabmeat and shrimp over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella; top with 3 noodles. Spread ricotta cheese over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, top with 3 noodles. Spread with remaining crabmeat, shrimp and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
8 to 12 servings