Gulf Coast Seafood Lasagna Recipe

Mobile, Ala. (WALA) - Rouses grocery stores have released a new seafood lasagna recipe created by Chef Big John. The dish combines Gulf Coast ingredients with traditional Italian pasta components.

The recipe calls for one pound of peeled and deveined shrimp. The shrimp are poached in water seasoned with Rouses crab boil. The process takes two to three minutes. The shrimp are cooked just until opaque. They are then drained and tossed with the juice of half a lemon.

The lasagna also uses one pound of white lump blue crabmeat. The crab is pre-cooked and packaged. The recipe instructs cooks to keep the crab refrigerated until assembly. It is added directly to the dish without separate cooking. The crab heats through during the baking process.

Three and a half cups of Rouses Alfredo sauce form the creamy base of the dish. The sauce is warmed gently over low heat. It is stirred until easy to spread. The recipe warns against boiling the sauce. Cooks should taste the sauce before adding any additional salt or pepper.

The filling mixture includes 16 ounces of ricotta cheese. One egg and one-quarter cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese are mixed with the ricotta. Two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley are added to the bowl. The mixture is seasoned lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Assembly begins by spreading half a cup of the warm Alfredo sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. The dish is a deep 9 by 13 inch pan. It is lightly coated with cooking spray. One pound of lasagna noodles is boiled in salted water. The cooked noodles are laid flat on a greased baking sheet. Parchment paper separates the stacked layers.

The first layer consists of noodles, one-third of the ricotta mixture, and one-third of the poached shrimp. One-third of the white lump blue crab is scattered over the filling. One cup of Alfredo sauce and one-third of the shredded mozzarella are added. This sequence is repeated for a total of three filled layers.

The lasagna is finished with a top layer of sauce and mozzarella. The dish is tented with foil and baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It bakes for 30 minutes while covered. The foil is removed for the final 15 minutes of baking. The lasagna bakes until it is golden, bubbling, and hot in the center.

The dish rests for 15 minutes after removal from the oven. Fresh parsley is used as a garnish. The recipe recommends serving the lasagna with a crisp green salad and warm bread. Cutting the lasagna after resting helps the creamy layers hold together on the plate.

Rouses operates seven locations in Alabama. These stores are located in Theodore, Gulf Shores, Saraland, Mobile, Spanish Fort, Orange Beach, and Daphne. The recipe is available on the Rouses website. Chef Big John is credited as the creator of the dish.