Baked Seafood Lasagna with Garlic Butter

A Lasagna That Tastes Like a Coastal Italian Restaurant

There's something about the combination of sweet shrimp, buttery scallops, and delicate crab tucked between layers of pasta and melted cheese that feels like a celebration on a plate. This Baked Seafood Lasagna with Garlic Butter takes the comfort of a classic lasagna casserole and gives it a luxurious seafood bake twist, finished with a silky garlic butter shrimp sauce that ties every layer together. It looks like something from a fancy Italian seafood restaurant, but it's entirely doable on a Tuesday night.

If you love the idea of special dinner energy without the stress of a complicated menu, this is the recipe to bookmark. It's rich, comforting, and just a little bit fancy, which makes it perfect for date nights, holidays, or any time you want to impress without spending all day in the kitchen.

Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good heavy bottomed skillet helps the garlic butter sauce cook evenly without scorching, and fresh, high quality seafood is what really makes this dish taste special rather than just "fine." These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:

Why This Seafood Lasagna Works So Well

Most lasagna casserole recipes rely on a basic tomato or béchamel sauce, but this one leans into a garlic butter cream sauce that was practically made for shrimp, scallops, and crab. The lemon and parsley keep things bright instead of heavy, while the ricotta layer adds that classic creamy lasagna texture you're craving.

A few things make this seafood bake stand out:

• The seafood is barely cooked before baking. This keeps the shrimp and scallops tender instead of rubbery once everything finishes in the oven.
• A real roux based sauce, not a jarred sauce, gives you full control over the seasoning and richness.
• Three cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan) create the gooey, golden top everyone fights over.

Chef's Tip: Don't skip patting the scallops dry before searing. Excess moisture is the number one reason scallops turn gray and rubbery instead of caramelizing nicely in the garlic butter.

Tips for the Best Garlic Butter Shrimp and Seafood Layer

This recipe uses a cooking method that separates the seafood prep from the sauce, then brings them together at the end. That separation is intentional. It means the shrimp and scallops only get a quick sear, just enough to set their exterior, and the rest of the cooking happens gently in the oven surrounded by sauce and cheese.

A little dry white wine added to the garlic butter base also makes a noticeable difference. It deglazes the pan, lifts any browned bits left from the seafood, and adds a subtle acidity that balances the richness of the cream and cheese. If you'd rather skip the wine, a splash of extra lemon juice and a bit of seafood stock will get you most of the way there.

Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:

Baked Seafood Lasagna with Garlic Butter

Creamy, garlicky, and packed with shrimp, scallops, and crab, this baked seafood lasagna is the ultimate special occasion dinner that's secretly simple to make.

Prep:25 mins

Cook:45 mins

Total:70 mins

Yield:8 servings

Cuisine:Italian American

Yield: 8 servingsCalories: 520Protein: 32g

Carbs: 38gFat: 26gSat. Fat: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gSodium: 780mg

Ingredients

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• 12 lasagna noodles, regular or no-boil
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
• 1/2 lb sea scallops, patted dry and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
• 3/8 cup all-purpose flour, for the roux
• 3 cups whole milk, warmed slightly
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
• 15 oz ricotta cheese, whole milk variety
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for the ricotta mixture
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional, for a little heat
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked

Instruction

1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles until just shy of al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain and lay flat on a baking sheet so they don't stick together.

2

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shrimp and scallops, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just opaque. Remove from heat, fold in the crab meat, and set the seafood mixture aside.

4

In the same skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to form a roux.

5

Slowly whisk in the white wine, then the warm milk and heavy cream, a little at a time, whisking until completely smooth. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

6

Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat and stir half of the garlic butter sauce into the seafood mixture.

7

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, chopped parsley, and half a cup of the parmesan cheese until well combined.

8

Spread a thin layer of the garlic butter sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer 4 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the seafood mixture, a third of the mozzarella, and a drizzle of the remaining sauce.

9

Repeat the layers once more, then top with the final 4 noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella, and remaining parmesan.

10

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.

11

Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with extra parsley and serve warm.

Equipment

• 9x13 inch baking dish
• Large skillet
• Whisk
• Large pot
• Mixing bowls
• Aluminum foil

Notes

This lasagna can be fully assembled up to a day ahead, covered tightly, and refrigerated before baking, just add 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat beautifully in a 350 degree F oven covered with foil. Avoid microwaving if possible, since seafood can turn rubbery when reheated too quickly.

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Serving Suggestions and Easy Weeknight Dinner Swaps

This seafood lasagna pairs beautifully with a simple arugula salad dressed in lemon and olive oil, or some garlicky roasted broccolini to keep things green and fresh next to all that richness. A crusty loaf of bread for swiping up extra garlic butter sauce is never a bad idea either.

While this is technically a 30 minute meals friendly dish in terms of active hands-on cooking, the bake time makes it more of a relaxed weekend project, or a planned ahead easy weeknight dinners option if you assemble it the night before. For a lighter version, you can use part-skim mozzarella and swap half the heavy cream for extra milk without losing too much of that signature creaminess.

However you serve it, this baked seafood lasagna proves that seafood and Italian comfort food were always meant to share a baking dish.