Seafood lasagna

FILLING:

• 3 C ricotta cheese
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz. spinach, cooked, drained and chopped
• 1 lb. cooked crab meat. shredded
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 bunch of green onion, sliced
• 1/2 C chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 lbs. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
  

SAUCE:

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 C plum tomatoes, packed in puree
• 1/2 C dry white wine
• 1/2 C chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds,salt and pepper to taste
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 lb. med shrimp, shelled, deveined and poached briefly
• 1 lb. scallops, poached briefly
• 3 dz. mussels, steamed and shelled
• 2 dz. littleneck clams, steamed and shelled
• 1 1/4 lb. lasagna noodles,

Preparation Method

1. To prepare sauce: heat oil over medium high heat and saute onion and garlic. Stir in wine, basil, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 min, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir the cream into the sauce, stir in all the shellfish and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. Cook the noodles, drain and cool.
5. To make filling: beat the ricotta, cream cheese, eggs until smooth. Stir in the spinach, crabmeat, red pepper, green onions, basil, salt and pepper
6. Butter a large rectangle pan. Spread a thin layer of the sauce without the shellfish on the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Top with half the filling, then half the seafood sauce. Cover the sauce with a layer of mozzarella.
7. Place another layer of noodles over the mozzarella and spread with the remaining filling. Top with another layer of mozzarella. Add a final layer of noodles and then the remaining sauce. Cover with the remaining cheese.
8. Bake lasagna until bubbling and browned about 50 min.
9. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
10. This can also be prepared the day Before... Do not cook the lasagna noodles if this is done.