When
Honors College student Peter made a video of me
making homemade orecchiette, I ended
up with quite a few batches of pasta dough.
As so
many people are saying these days, “That is such a First World problem.”
And they
are right.
But, it
did mean that Mark and I just had to make a lot of pasta dishes in short order to use up the
dough.
We shaped
some into orecchiette and froze them, and used some for pappardelle, and
finally – the very last ball of dough – was rolled out and used for today’s
recipe: seafood lasagne.
Mark said
he wasn’t in the mood for a traditional lasagne with Bolognese sauce, but said
he was fondly remembering an airy-light lasagne made by nuns in a convent in
Rome. (It was most likely a traditional Bolognese-style that combines red sauce
with a béchamel
sauce.)
I wasn’t
about to go to all that work, but wanted to make him happy so I made a lasagne
using a béchamel
sauce.
I checked
the freezer. A partial
bag of frozen scallops, some cooked salad shrimp, and a 7-ounce wild-caught
Alaskan salmon fillet I got at the farmer’s market from my friend Ian at
WhiteCane Sockeye Salmon. (His father, the fisherman, is legally blind, thus the reference
to a White Cane.)
After
choosing my seafood for the dish, we meandered through the herb section of our
garden and Mark suggested that tarragon would be perfect for this lasagne.
And,
because I had picked them up at the market on Sunday, I had a nice
“forest” of oyster mushrooms. This was becoming quite the dish!
It came
out great, and we enjoyed it for several days. And, smarty pants that I am, I
actually wrote down what I did and photographed it just in case it was good.
And it
was very good. I hope you enjoy it!
David
Seafood
Lasagne
Homemade
pasta, enough for 3 layers*
* or dried lasagne noodles
5
tablespoons butter, divided
3
tablespoons flour
3 cups
whole milk
1
shallot, minced
8 ounces
sea scallops, sliced horizontally
8 ounces
cooked salad shrimp
salt and
pepper
3/4 cup
white wine
5 ounces
thinly sliced oyster mushroom caps
3
oven-dried plum tomatoes, or 6 sun-dried tomatoes
cayenne
pepper to taste
1
tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 6-ounce
wild salmon filet, thinly sliced
16 thin
slices goat gouda (or other semi-hard goat cheese)
Melt 3
tablespoons butter and add flour – cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until light tan in
color. Add
milk in a steady stream (whisking all the while) to the flour and butter. Once incorporated, add salt
and pepper to taste (approximately 1 teaspoon salt). Cook over medium-low heat
until thick; set aside.
Melt 1
tablespoon butter and cook shallot over medium heat until clear. Add scallops and sprinkle with
salt and pepper. When
scallops turn opaque, add wine and bring just to a boil. Turn off heat and with a
slotted spoon remove scallops to a bowl, reserving wine. Add cooked shrimp to
the bowl with scallops.
In a
large skillet, heat remaining tablespoon butter and sauté mushrooms till they begin to
soften. Add reserved wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add
to béchamel
sauce. Also
add chopped oven-dried tomatoes, cayenne, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Add any juices from the
reserved scallop mixture and set sauce aside.
Preheat
oven to 375°F.
Set a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil.
Cook your
fresh pasta for about 1 minute (until al dente). If using dried pasta, follow
manufacturer’s directions for cooking times. Drain and rinse pasta quickly
under cool water to stop the cooking. Place them on racks to dry. Do not
overlap them, or they will stick together.
Liberally
butter a 9-inch by 11-inch baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a third
of the cooked pasta.
Spread a
1/2 cup sauce over the pasta, add the shrimp and scallops and cover them with
another 1/2 cup sauce. Top with the second third of the cooked pasta. Spread the salmon slices on
top then spoon 1 cup sauce over the fish. Place remaining pasta on top. Spoon any remaining béchamel sauce over the pasta,
and top with cheese slices (or, you can grate the cheese on top) and bake 45
minutes, or until bubbly.
Let sit 5
minutes before serving.
Serves
6-8.
Cali @ Cali's Cuisine
July 18, 2015 at 2:54 pmThis looks absolutely amazing. I love the seafood lasagne concept, quite outside the box from the norm. Roasting your own tomatoes and the oyster mushrooms must add a very nice element to the dish!
I've switched to no-boil lasagne noodles because it is quick and the people that I eat with on a regular basis (my family) cannot tell the difference. First world problems :). I'm going to try to make my own pasta sheets at some point.
Thanks for sharing this dish! I'm sure it will inspire others to get creative!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 18, 2015 at 8:33 pmI use the no-boil noodles, too, Cali – but when you have too much homemade pasta? This was a good use.
Thanks for your kind comment – I love throwing stuff together like this!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
July 18, 2015 at 6:17 pmOh you are a smarty-pants, David! Whenever I make a "knock it out of the park" dish, I have NO idea how much of anything I used and rarely are able to re-create it in the same way again! This is such a great blend of flavors and agree that tarragon would be great! I've been wanting to make a vegetable lasagna with a besciamella sauce for ages! Yours is the second similar type lasagna I've seen in two days–I think it's a sign! 😉
Cocoa & Lavender
July 18, 2015 at 8:34 pmThanks, Christina – you are so sweet, as always. I try my best now to write down everything I make just in case it is good! "A Keeper," as we say.
Hope you have fun with your veggie lasagne!
John | heneedsfood
July 18, 2015 at 10:13 pmQuite the dish, indeed! I must say, I don't think I've ever seen a seafood lasagne. And Mark is right, tarragon and seafood are very good friends. I have no doubt that this was delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 18, 2015 at 10:45 pmThanks, John – it was pretty tasty, I must say. And I started thinking about other seafood combinations, too!
Sippity Sup
July 18, 2015 at 11:00 pmI miss the days when I cooked by the seat of my pants, but like you I now take notes while making even the simplest of dishes. I'd hate to not know exactly how much milk I added to my morning cereal. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
July 18, 2015 at 11:52 pmExactly my point, Greg! It makes me wonder if anyone has ever posted on their morning cereal…
Unknown
July 19, 2015 at 4:25 amLooks amazing David – and the photos are beautiful.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 19, 2015 at 12:41 pmThanks, Sarah! It was great to meet you the other day!
Liz (Good Things)
July 19, 2015 at 6:37 amSuch a tasty creation! I've not had pasta for weeks!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 19, 2015 at 12:42 pmThanks, Liz! It looks like you and Peter are having an amazing trip! It's funny, two nights when we were in Germany, I made pasta at the apartment we rented. I just love it too much!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
July 19, 2015 at 10:31 amEven though I don't like seafood, this lasagna version sounds awesome David! Those mushrooms, how cool, I don't think I ever saw a forest before! But my favorite part is how now I know how to make wavy lasagna noodles… love that tip!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 19, 2015 at 12:44 pmIt is so funny, Paula – I actually thought of you yesterday when this posted! "Another seafood post to torture Paula!" 🙂 Aren't the mushrooms beautiful? They are locally grown here in Arizona. Also, I am glad you liked my wavy lasagna noodles.
Cheri Savory Spoon
July 19, 2015 at 10:12 pmHi David, glad that you noted and took pictures of this lasagna, this is a masterpiece for sure. Love that you cut the scallops like you did, very clever. Heard Tucson has been having some weather, take care.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 20, 2015 at 2:18 pmThanks, Cheri! Yes, Tucson has had a few interesting storms but we missed them because we were in Europe.
Unknown
July 20, 2015 at 3:11 amI take mental notes of any new dish I make, I should know better because inevitably, I forget. I was getting better but somehow I've lapsed into not writing stuff down again. Oh well.
This lasagne looks awesome! Seafood and bechamel is a classic and quite wonderful combo. Love the mushroom forest too 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
July 20, 2015 at 2:19 pmI gave up on my mental prowess years ago, Nazneen! I have to write things down. 🙂 Just for fun, I bought another mushroom forest yesterday!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
July 21, 2015 at 6:59 pmDavid, now that sounds like a dish I would love to eat – I so enjoy seafood and can never get enough of delicious seafood dishes but I do not often have a chance to make them (the fish mongers are rather rare these days around here) – so, next time you are making this amazing seafood lasagna, make sure to give me ample advance notice!
Liebe Grüsse aus Bonn (und heute ist es so heiss) – the recipe for Himmel und Erde is coming tomorrow!
More liebe Grüsse,
Andrea & Co.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 21, 2015 at 11:48 pmI would be SO happy to make this for you, Andrea! You just let me know when you are coming and I will make sure it is on your plate!
Liebe Grüsse aus zehr heiss Tucson. Heute es ist 38C!
Valentina
July 22, 2015 at 9:12 pmThis looks and sounds so delicious, David! I have been wanting all things seafood lately so this is what I wish was in the oven. 🙂 The flavor combination is mouth-watering!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 22, 2015 at 9:48 pmThanks, Valentina – and now that you have all had a little rain, maybe it's cool enough to start the oven?
Nuts about food
July 23, 2015 at 10:11 amThank goodness you are a smarty pants!!!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 23, 2015 at 3:01 pmThanks, Fiona… I have an occasional moment of smarty pants-dom and am glad for it!
I Wilkerson
July 29, 2015 at 4:04 pmWhat a wonderful problem–especially if you "had to" do seafood lasagna to cope!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 29, 2015 at 5:16 pmInger – it was a hardship, but someone had to do it!
Provence WineZine
August 20, 2015 at 5:53 pmSo original! I have never heard of a seafood lasagna! It sounds yummy!
Cocoa & Lavender
August 20, 2015 at 6:10 pmThis dish would be a natural for you on the Seacoast, Susan!