Seafood Lasagna

In the realm of lasagnas this seafood version is truly “fit for a king.” Sweet, flavorful scallops, shrimp and crab are combined with a rich, creamy white sauce to create an “enchanting treasure” that surely would entice King Neptune himself.

Over the years, it’s garnered many, many compliments and recipe requests for Ginny Terhaar. She admits it’s somewhat time-consuming to prepare but it’s so good that it’s worth every minute spent in the kitchen! CJK

Seafood Lasagna

(Ginny Terhaar)

2 or 3 green onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup butter, divided

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (8 oz.) bottle clam juice

1 lb. bay scallops

1 lb. uncooked small shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (8 oz.) pkg. imitation crabmeat, chopped

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet, sauté onion in oil and 2 tbsp. butter until tender. Stir in broth and clam juice; bring to a boil. Add the scallops, shrimp and crab; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are firm and opaque, stirring gently. Drain, reserving cooking liquid, set seafood mixture aside.

In a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth. Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid; gradually add to saucepan. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir 3/4 cup of the white sauce into the seafood mixture.

Spray 9x13-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the white sauce in the prepared baking dish. Top with 3 to 4 noodles; spread with half of the seafood mixture and 1 1/4 cups sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown; let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

A note from Ginny: Sometimes I’ve found pieces of frozen lobster at the grocery store, thawed it and added it to the seafood mixture.

I highly recommend preparing it the day before and leaving it in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes before baking.

A note from Carol: Ginny and her husband, Ken, will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary this summer. They have been members of St. Donatus Parish all 50 years of their marriage. Originally from the Brooten area, Ken has been a parishioner there most of his life. They have five children and 13 grandchildren.

Ginny’s seafood lasagna is one of more than 650 recipes in the St. Donatus Parish “Fruit of the Spirit” cookbook. To order copies, contact the parish office at stdonatus@tds.net or 320-346-2431. They are on sale for $15 each. (Shipping and handling is $5 for one book or $7 for two.)