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Seafood Lasagna

From INN OF SILENT MUSIC
For the Bechamel (white sauce)
4 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
4 1/2 Tbs all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups milk
3/4 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt)
pinch of ground nutmeg

For the Pink Sauce
3/4 cup bechamel sauce
1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes (more if you prefer more tomato flavor/color)
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil leaves

For the Filling/Assembly
1 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, halved & sliced thin lengthwise
2 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt)
1 lb fresh zucchini (about 3) ends trimmed & cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices
1/2 lb crabmeat
1/4 lb shrimp, cooked, peeled & coarsely chopped
8 sheets Barilla No-Boil lasagne noodles
@ 6 oz fresh mozzarella, draned & sliced @ 1/4 inch thick
@ 8 oz ricotta cheese
@ 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated romano or parmesan cheese

To make the bechamel
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the flour & stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. Bring it to a boil, continuing to stir & taking care not to brown the mixture (about 2 minutes). Very slowly, pour the milk into the flour mixture, stirring constantly. When all the milk is incorporated, bring the mixture to a boil over med-lo heat, reduce heat & simmer for about 5 minutes or until the bechamel has thickened to a consistency that will coat the back of the wooden spoon & remain (like thick cream). Stir in the salt & nutmeg, set aside, covering to prevent a “skin” from forming on the top. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Just add a little more milk to make it more “pourable”.

To make the pink sauce
Take æ cup of the bechamel & place in a medium bowl. Add the diced tomatoes & chopped basil. Stir to until blended & set aside. Add more tomato or milk if it becomes too thick when you are ready to use it.

To make the filling
Heat the oven to 425°. Heat a1 Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet & saute the onions over med-hi heat until very tender & lightly browned (@ 15 minutes). Set aside.

With a pastry brush, lightly coat the zucchini slices on each side. Place them in a single layer on a rack set inside a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt & bake for @ 20 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. The slices will begin to brown around the edges which adds to the flavor of the lasagne. Set aside.

Assembling & baking the lasagne
Reduce oven to 375°. Drizzle 3Tbs of the bechamel on the bottom of an 8” square baking dish. Dot with butter. Cover with 2 lasagne noodles, slightly overlapping. (Don’t worry that the noodles do not go to the edges of the dish as they will expand during cooking.) Drizzle with @ 3 Tbs of bechamel, 1/2 of the zucchini slices, 1/2 of the sauteed onions, @ one third each of the ricotta & mozzarella. Sprinkle with some parmesan. Top with two more lasagne noodles. Drizzle with 2 Tbs of the pink sauce. Top with all of the seafood, 2 Tbs of the pink sauce, one third each of the ricotta & mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan. Top with two more lasagne noodes. Drizzle with @ 3 Tbs of the bechamel, the remaining zucchini slices, the remaining onions, ricotta & mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan. Top with the last two lasagne noodles, any remaining ricotta & mozzarella, 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the pink sauce. Dot with butter & sprinkle with parmesan. Loosely cover with foil & bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the filling is hot & bubbling. Let the lasagne cool for @ 5-7 minutes before cutting.

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