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Dungeness Crab Lasagna
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
 
When it’s Dungeness season, we normally gobble it up fresh with no adornment. But… our wine group calls for some creativity. We were tasting California sparkling wines and so I created this crab lasagna. One of the keys to it is thickening the crab fumet or broth until it is deeply rich. Adding the crab butter at the last minute, just before sieving the broth intensifies the crab flavors enough to hold up to the other ingredients. This lasagna is definitely for celebratory occasions.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 8
Author: Barbara
Ingredients
Lasagna
  • 3-4 Dungeness Crabs cracked, keeping the crab “butter”
  • 1 package lasagna noodles
  • 2 cups ricotta
  • 1-1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1 cup or more mozzarella shredded
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup parsley minced
  • 1 # spinach chopped
  • 2 handfuls Sorrel chopped (optional)
  • 1-1/2 # mushrooms Crimini and assorted wild mushrooms (chantrelle, oyster), sliced
  • 1 large shallot minced
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 3 cups white sauce
  • salt and pepper
Crab Fumet/broth
  • 1 onion halved
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 2 carrots cut in 3rds
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1-2 tsp Herbes de Provence
  • 1 bay leaf split in half
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • salt and pepper
  • White Wine Optional
  • Crab butter saved from cleaned crabs
  • Crab shells from cleaned crabs
White Sauce
  • 4 cups fumet
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup half and half
  • White wine use the wine you are planning to drink with the Lasagna
  • crab butter
Instructions

  1. Ingredients.

Crab

  1. Clean the crab, putting the meat in a bowl, putting the leg meat to the side. Put the bones in a stockpot.

  2. Save the crab butter.
Fumet

  1. Put all of the fumet ingredients in a pot excepting the crab butter and cover with water, add a little wine. Bring to a soft boil and reduce to about 2 cups of liquid. (40 minutes). Remove the bones and vegetables from the broth. Using a fine sieve, filter the crab butter into the broth, then filter the broth so that it is relatively clear.

White sauce

  1. To the clean stockpot, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2-3 tablespoons of flour to create a roux. Saute the roux until it is bubbling.

  2. Stirring rapidly, add the two cups of broth, fully blending into a smooth sauce. 
  3. Then add the heavy cream, the half and half and the white wine, blending well. Bring the sauce to a very soft boil. 
  4. Watching the sauce, continue the soft boil until the sauce has the consistency or thickness that you desire. Consider how moist you wish the lasagna to be.
Filling
  1. Mix the ricotta, egg and parsley with the ½ cup parmesan.
  2. Quickly saute the chopped spinach and optional sorrel until moisture is mostly eliminated.
  3. Saute the shallot and thyme in olive oil and butter until shallots are softened. Add mushrooms, sautéing until mushrooms have released their moisture.
Lasagna

  1. Cook the lasagna noodles on the firm side of al dente (firmer than you wish to eat them). Put aside 1/2 cup of the crab for the topping.

  2. Put a few tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12-13’ buttered baking pan. Layer with noodles and sauce. 

  3.  Layer noodles with ½ of the ricotta mixture.

  4. Layer with ½ of the spinach, then ½ of the mushrooms, 1/2 of the crab, ¼ cup of parmesan, and finally the a few tablespoons of sauce.

  5. Start your second layer with the noodles, following with the rest of the ricotta, spinach and mushrooms, 1/2 of the crab, ¼ cup of parmesan and a few tablespoons of sauce.
  6. Top with lasagna noodles, shredded mozzarella, a dusting of parmesan and the remaining sauce.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Checking to see if the mixture is bubbling and erupting through the noodles and that the sauce has thickened. Take the lasagna out of the oven.
  8. If reheating for later, cool the lasagna and refrigerate. A few hours before serving, remove the lasagna from the refrigerator, pop it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
  9. Remove the lasagna, top it with the remaining portion of crab. Turn the oven onto broil. Broil the lasagna for a few minutes allowing the crab to lightly crispen. This is an optional step.
  10. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

If reheating for later, cool the lasagna and refrigerate. A few hours before serving, remove the lasagna from the refrigerator, pop it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Remove the lasagna, top it with the remaining portion of crab. Turn the oven onto broil. Broil the lasagna for a few minutes allowing the crab to lightly crispen. This is an optional step. Serve immediately. We enjoyed Windy Oaks Sparkling Albarino with the Lasagna. It’s a wonderful compliment to the crab, cut the richness, and has an amazing breadth of flavor. Yum! Notes: You may choose to use less crab. If so, you can substitute 1 # of any mix of shrimp, or lobster or scallops.