If you love Italian seafood recipes and can’t resist a good baked pasta dish, you’re going to fall in love with this Italian Seafood Lasagna!
Inspired by the classic Lasagna Bolognese, this elegant version replaces the meat sauce with a flavorful seafood ragù and a delicate light béchamel made with fish broth and olive oil instead of milk and butter.
The result is a creamy, soft lasagna that tastes of the sea but feels incredibly light. Each layer of fresh egg pasta embraces a mix of tender fish, shrimp, and squid, balanced by the silky béchamel that brings everything together in perfect harmony.
This seafood lasagna is a wonderful choice for a festive dinner or a special family meal. In Italy, it’s often prepared for Christmas Eve, when seafood traditionally takes center stage on the table. But it’s also perfect for any occasion when you want to serve something elegant and delicious that captures the authentic flavors of the Mediterranean.
So now, try this Italian Seafood Lasagna recipe - creamy, light, and full of the scents of the sea. Your guests will be completely won over!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 30 Min | Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Min | Servings: 8
Doses for a 13x9 inch lasagna pan.
FOR THE SEAFOOD RAGU'
The weight refers to whole fish before cleaning
- 150 g (5 oz) squid
- 150 g (5 oz) cuttlefish
- 1 whole sea bass (about 400 g / 14 oz) or 150 g (5 oz) sea bass fillet
- 200 g (7 oz) scampi
- 150 g (5 oz) shrimps
- 350 g (1 ⅔ cups) tomato passata (strained tomatoes)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- A handful of fresh parsley
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE FISH STOCK
Use this homemade fish stock to prepare the light béchamel sauce and to enrich the seafood ragù
- 1 liter (4 cups) water
- All fish trimmings (heads, bones, and crustacean shells – not the entrails)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 medium shallot
- ½ tablespoon coarse salt
FOR THE LASAGNA SHEETS
- About 12 lasagna: you can make fresh homemade lasagna sheets following our step by step recipe
- Or you can buy authentic Italian flat lasagna, oven ready (no cooking or boiling necessary), made with durum wheat (we recommend Tuscanini brand)
FOR THE LIGHT FISH BECHAMEL SAUCE
- 750 ml (3 cups) fish stock
- 100 g (3.5 oz) “00” flour
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the Seafood Ragù Sauce
To prepare this delicious and delicate Italian Seafood Lasagna, start with the main filling: the seafood ragù, which together with the light béchamel will form the layers of the lasagna.
This flavorful sauce is made with a mix of crustaceans, mollusks, fish fillets, and tomato passata.
You can even prepare it 1 or 2 days in advance and keep it refrigerated until ready to assemble your lasagna.
Below is a summary of the main steps. For more details, see our [Fish Ragù Recipe – Step by Step Guide].
Step 1) - Clean the fish carefully and make a simple fish stock using the trimmings, shells, and claws.
Place them in a pot with about 1 liter (4 cups) of water, one carrot, one celery stalk, and the onion. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for at least 40 minutes.
This flavorful stock will be used both to cook the seafood ragù and to prepare the fish béchamel sauce (see Steps 4-5).
If you are using already cleaned fish with no trimmings, you can substitute vegetable broth, though the flavor will be less intense.
Step 2) - In a large pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and sauté garlic, onion, and chopped parsley until fragrant.
Add the cleaned and diced squid and cuttlefish, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze with white wine, let it evaporate, then pour in the tomato passata.
Simmer gently for about 40 minutes, adding a little fish stock as needed to keep the sauce from drying out.
Step 3) - Now add the shrimp, scampi, and sea bass fillets, all cleaned and cut into pieces.
Keep a few shrimp whole for decoration if you like.
Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seafood is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Tip: Cooking time is essential for a perfect seafood ragù. Each type of seafood cooks at a different speed, so add them in the right order to preserve their texture and flavor.
When ready, set the seafood ragù aside.
Make the Light Fish Bechamel (Without Butter and Milk)
Step 4) - In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and whisk quickly until the flour absorbs the oil and forms a smooth paste (roux).
Step 5) - Gradually pour in the hot fish stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes smooth and velvety, yet still fluid enough to spread easily.
Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Your light fish béchamel sauce is now ready.
Assemble the Lasagna
Now that you have both the seafood ragù and the fish béchamel ready, you can start assembling your seafood lasagna.
If you’re using fresh homemade lasagna sheets, remember to boil them for 1 minute in salted water, then drain and lay them on clean kitchen towels to dry before assembling.
If you’re using oven-ready lasagna sheets (as recommended in the ingredients), do not pre-cook them.
They’ll absorb the liquids from the sauce and béchamel as they bake, becoming perfectly tender.
Step 6) - Spread two tablespoons of fish béchamel sauce on the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.
Place a lasagna sheet on top, covering the entire base. Trim or overlap as needed.
Step 7) - Spread about two tablespoons of seafood ragù over the lasagna sheets, followed by two tablespoons of fish béchamel.
Use the back of a spoon to distribute the sauces evenly.
Step 8) - Repeat the process (lasagna – seafood ragù – béchamel) for about five layers, or until you fill the dish.
Finish with a generous layer of both sauces on top - this will help create a beautiful golden crust as the lasagna bakes.
Step 9) - Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cover the lasagna loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil for the remaining time to allow the top to become slightly crispy and golden.
Let the Italian seafood lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a little fresh chopped parsley or ground black pepper according to taste.
Storage
You can easily make this Italian Seafood Lasagna ahead of time or store leftovers safely for later.
Here’s how to keep it fresh and delicious:
If already baked: Let the lasagna cool completely to room temperature. Then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or transfer individual portions to airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 15–20 minutes, covered with aluminum foil to prevent drying. You can also reheat single portions in the microwave until warm throughout.
If unbaked: Assemble the lasagna in a baking dish, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. When ready, bake directly from the fridge, adding about 5–10 extra minutes to the cooking time.
Freezing: You can freeze the lasagna baked or unbaked. Wrap it well and freeze for up to 2 months. If frozen unbaked, bake directly from frozen, extending the cooking time by about 20 minutes. If frozen after baking, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Tips
Use fresh, high-quality seafood: The flavor of this dish depends on the freshness of your ingredients. Choose firm white fish like sea bass or cod and mix with shrimp, scampi, and squid for the best texture and balance of flavors.
Make a flavorful fish stock: Homemade fish stock gives this lasagna its authentic taste of the sea. Use fish bones, heads, and crustacean shells — but never the entrails. If you don’t have fresh scraps, a light vegetable broth will work, though the flavor will be milder.
Keep the béchamel light and creamy: The fish béchamel should be smooth and fluid, not too thick. If it becomes too dense, whisk in a little warm stock. A lighter sauce lets the seafood shine and prevents the lasagna from feeling heavy.
Let the lasagna rest before serving: After baking, let your seafood lasagna rest for about 10 minutes. This helps the layers set, making it easier to slice neatly and allowing the flavors to blend beautifully.
FAQs
Choose firm white fish such as sea bass, cod, or grouper, and combine them with shrimp, scampi, or squid for extra flavor and texture.
Avoid oily fish like salmon or mackerel, which can overpower the delicate taste of the béchamel and pasta.
Fresh seafood gives the best result, but high-quality frozen fish works well too.
Yes, you can use a classic milk-based béchamel sauce, but it will give the lasagna a richer, heavier flavor.
The fish béchamel made with olive oil and fish stock keeps the dish lighter and enhances the seafood flavor, making it more authentically Mediterranean.
Recipe Card
Lasagne di Pesce (Italian Seafood Lasagna Recipe)
Ingredients
For the Seafood Ragu
- 150 g squid - 5 oz
- 150 g cuttlefish - 5 oz
- 1 sea bass - ~400 g (14 oz) or about 150 g (5 oz) of sea bass fillet
- 200 g scampi - 7 oz
- 150 g shrimps - 5 oz
- 350 g tomato passata - 1 ⅔ cups
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 handfull fresh parsley
- 60 ml dry white wine - ¼ cup
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Fish Stock
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 liter water - 4 cups
- ½ tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 medium shallot - medium size
- all fish trimmings - (heads, bones, and crustacean shells – not the entrails)
- 1 medium carrot
For the Lasagna Sheets
- 12 lasagna sheets
For the Light Fish Bèchamel Sauce
- 750 ml fish stock - ~3 cups
- 100 g "00" flour - 3.5 oz
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt - to taste
- ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
Make the Fish Ragu Sauce
- Clean the fish carefully and make a simple fish stock using the trimmings, shells, and claws.Place them in a pot with about 1 liter (4 cups) of water, one carrot, one celery stalk, and one shallot. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for at least 40 minutes.This flavorful stock will be used both to cook the seafood ragù and to prepare the fish béchamel sauce (see Steps 4-5).
- In a large pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and sauté garlic, onion, and chopped parsley until fragrant.Add the cleaned and diced squid and cuttlefish, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Deglaze with white wine, let it evaporate, then pour in the tomato passata.Simmer gently for about 40 minutes, adding a little fish stock as needed to keep the sauce from drying out.
- Now add the shrimp, scampi, and sea bass fillets, all cleaned and cut into pieces.Keep a few shrimp whole for decoration if you like.Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seafood is tender and the sauce has thickened.Tip: Cooking time is essential for a perfect seafood ragù. Each type of seafood cooks at a different speed, so add them in the right order to preserve their texture and flavor.When ready, set the seafood ragù aside.
Make the Light Fish Bechamel
- In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and whisk quickly until the flour absorbs the oil and forms a smooth paste (roux).
- Gradually pour in the hot fish stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes smooth and velvety, yet still fluid enough to spread easily.Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.Your light fish béchamel sauce is now ready.
Assemble the Lasagna
- Spread two tablespoons of béchamel sauce on the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.Place a lasagna sheet on top, covering the entire base. Trim or overlap as needed.
- Spread about two tablespoons of seafood ragù over the pasta, followed by two tablespoons of fish béchamel.Use the back of a spoon to distribute the sauces evenly.
- Repeat the process (lasagna – seafood ragù – béchamel) for about five layers, or until you fill the dish.Finish with a generous layer of both sauces on top - this will help create a beautiful golden crust as the lasagna bakes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cover the lasagna loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil for the remaining time to allow the top to become slightly crispy and golden.
- Let the Italian seafood lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a little fresh chopped parsley or ground black pepper according to taste.
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