Seafood Lasagna With Rose Lobster Sauce

By PineyCook

Labor intensive, expensive, and indulgent but soooo worth it! One of the best 'special occasion' meals I've ever made! Not for the novice cook.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. shrimp
• 24 large shrimp
• 1 lb. scallops
• 1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 6 cups whole milk ricotta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup minced parsley
• 5 egg yolks
• 5 egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks
• 1 1-1/4 pound lobster, cooked and split in half
• garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 8 oz. brandy
• 1 rib celery, rough chop
• 1 small onion, rough chop
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 3 oz butter
• 3 oz flour
• 4 cups water
• 2 lbs dry lasagna noodles, prepared very al dente (OR 3 sheets (13x9) fresh lasagna)
• 26 slices mozzarella
• fresh crab meat

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Seafood for Ricotta Mixture:

Heat olive oil in pan. Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic, brown, and remove. Salt shrimp and scallops. Add to hot oil in pan. When browned on bottom, turn and brown other side. Add wine and deglaze pan and allow liquids to reduce almost completely. Remove from heat and cool. Remove large shrimp and reserve separately.

Prepare Ricotta Mixture:

Mix together thoroughly ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and egg yolks. Prepare the egg whites and incorporate with the ricotta mixture. Add cooled seafood (not the large shrimp) and blend thoroughly. Keep chilled.

Prepare Lobster Sauce:

Heat oil to very hot and brown lobster meat side down until well browned. Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and lightly brown. Add onion and brown well. Add remaining vegetables and 1/2 cup each chopped basil and parsley and brown slightly. Add tomato paste and simmer a few seconds. Add brandy and deglaze pan (flaming if you're brave and know how). Reduce liquid by half. Add four cups water and reduce by half. Strain everything, collecting the liquid and lobster. Remove meat and add to liquid. Return to boil and add 1 quart heavy cream. Bring back to boil and simmer five minutes. Make a roux from butter and flour. Add roux to thicken sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly:

Lightly butter a very large and deep baking dish. Add a thin layer of sauce, then a layer of pasta, then a layer of mozzarella slices. Next spread a layer of the ricotta mix about 3/4 inch thick. Decide how you will cut the lasagna and into what size portions. In the center of each portion, set one or two of the large strip and one tablespoon fresh crabmeat. Carefully cover with a layer of sauce. Repeat for a second layer and for each layer you wish to add.

On the final top layer, place another layer of pasta. Cover with parchment paper then aluminum foil. Either vent the foil on either side of the dish or pierce foil with a knife. Refrigerate several hours or over night. Place lasagna on a cookie sheet to catch overflow. Bake lasagna in a preheated 375 degree oven for an hour or until a thermometer registers 165 degrees. Ten minutes before lasagna is finished, remove foil and parchment. Cover the top of the pasta with a layer of sauce and top sauce with mozzarella slices. Return to oven and finish baking. Allow to stand ~15 minutes before cutting and serving.