Italian Seafood Lasagna Recipe 435

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.
• In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter. When hot add shallots, carrots and celery, cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and crab and saute, stirring continuously for 3 to 4 minutes or until seafood is just cooked through. Stir in Cognac and evaporate over high heat. Stir in tomatoes and cook 10 minutes, uncovered, or until mixture is quite thick. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Make a roux: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and add 4 tablespoons flour. Whisk in cream and milk and simmer five minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the gruyere cheese; season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg Cut the pasta sheets into strips 3 to 4 inches wide and long enough to fit into your gratin or baking dish. Boil, a few sheets at a time until 3/4 done. Drain and cool on clean cloths. Generously butter 3 quart capacity baking pan. Spread a thin film of cream sauce over bottom of baking dish. Arrange a layer of 4 overlapping sheets of lasagne. Spread a thin film of cream sauce over pasta, then seafood mixture. Top with pasta and repeat, reserving 1/3 cup of cream sauce for top layer. Finish with a layer of pasta, cream sauce and remaining 1/4 cup of gruyere. Bake, loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes or until hot throughout and only slightly golden on top. Let stand in pan for 5 minutes then serve.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese, egg, basil, and salt and pepper.
• In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk, and wine. Stir in crab, shrimp, and mushrooms.
• Place 4 noodles in the bottom of a well oiled 9x13 inch pan. Spread 1/2 cheese mixture over the noodles, and spoon 1/2 soup mixture over cheese. Repeat layers.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with cheddar & parmesan cheese. Brown lasagna under broiler. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add shrimp and scallops in batches; cook 2-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are firm and opaque. Remove from pan., Add garlic to same pan; cook 1 minute. Add wine and lemon juice, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add crab; heat through. Stir in shrimp and scallops., For cheese sauce, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining cheese sauce ingredients. In a large bowl, combine ricotta mixture ingredients; stir in 1 cup cheese sauce., Spread 1/2 cup cheese sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the seafood mixture and 2/3 cup cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and cheese sauce. Sprinkle top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese., Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

Steps:

• Sauce: Melt butter in a heavy skillet on low and add the cream cheese and minced garlic; whisking while it is melting. Add the half-and-half and milk 1/2 cup at a time and whisk well after each addition. Stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheese. When sauce thickens, take off the heat immediately. If it is too thick for your taste, just add a little more milk until you reach the desired consistency. Lasagna: PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 dish with vegetable oil. Bring a large pot of salted water with 1 tablespoon of oil added to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain well and set aside. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium and saute' the garlic and mushrooms until tender. Add the homemade Alfredo sauce and whipping cream; mix well. Now add the seafood and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the ricotta cheese with the beaten egg. In the prepared baking dish, layer the lasagna as follows: lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, seafood mixture and top with some of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers until all of the ingredients are used. SAVE 1/2 OF THE SHREDDED CHEESE FOR THE TOPPING. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Cover with foil and bake another 15-20 minutes.