Cheesy Crawfish Lasagna, A Spicy Cajun Recipe

Luscious layers of rich cheesy filling abound in this Cheesy Crawfish Lasagna, which is flavored with spicy crawfish and a creamy sauce. Hang on now! It's not your usual lasagna or everyday crawfish dish but has a great combination of flavors.

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Lately, I've had an envie (that is, a desire, if you need an interpretation for my Cajun French) for a Crawfish Lasagna. But it's not the traditional beefy, tomatoey lasagna like this Easy Lasagna Recipe, Step-By-Step. After much trial and error, I've discovered it's all in how you layer the flavors. I enjoy making it for friends and family, and I hope you try this traditional lasagna recipe, too!

This seafood lasagna is a twist on the classic Italian baked pasta. I'd heard of Crawfish Lasagna before and thought it sounded delicious. So, I got busy in my mama's kitchen, using her recipe books and the internet to create this luscious crawfish dish. Yes, luscious, it definitely is!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• TOP TIP
• Related
• Pairing

Ingredients

Lasagna - oven-ready pasta, regular lasagna noodles, or lasagna sheets will do.

CHEESE FILLING

• Cream cheese - softened for a creamy cheese filling.
• Mozzarella cheese - grated for its Italian cheese flavor and famous cheese melt.
• Italian seasoning - flavors the seafood lasagna.
• Egg - binds the filling together when baked.
• Salt - accents flavors and helps combine all of the tastes in this dish.
• Black pepper - fresh ground is the best to spice up these ingredients.

CRAWFISH

• Olive oil - to sautee the vegetables.
• Salted butter - for sauteeing with the oil.
• Onion - chopped and fresh and is a member of the Cajun trinity.
• Celery - another tasty member chopped fresh in the trinity. 
• Green bell pepper - a flavorful pepper in Italian cooking and part of the vegetable trinity.
• Stewed tomatoes - give the lasagna a sweet tomato flavor.
• Garlic cloves - chopped small or pressed to add flavor throughout the dish.
• Crawfish, fat included - Louisiana crawfish or the freshest catch nearest your own backyard.
• Salt - to flavor and accent all ingredients.
• Cayenne pepper - for as much heat as you like.
• Cajun Seasoning - more Cajun spice.

CHEESE LAYER SAUCE

• Salted butter - for a rich, buttery flavor.
• Garlic cloves - pressed or minced to distribute the flavor evenly throughout the lasagna which is definitely in Italian and Cajun cooking.
• All-purpose flour - to thicken the cheese sauce.
• Milk - for a creamy base.
• Parmesan cheese - has a nutty cheese flavor.
• Pepper jack cheese - for that peppery flavor and easy melting consistency.

TOPPING

• Breadcrumbs - for a crunchy browned topping.
• Shredded parmesan cheese - adds more cheese flavor to finish the lasagna.
• Chopped green onions and/or parsley are optional for a fresh garnish.

The specific amounts for ingredients and nutritional information are in the recipe card below.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray bottom of an 8x11-inch or 9x9-inch deep dish pan with non-stick spray.

Lasagna noodles

Cook according to the package or soak in hot water for 20 minutes in a shallow oblong pan and drain right before layering. No salt is needed.

Filling

Mix all filling ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Crawfish

1. Heat butter and oil until the butter is melted.
2. Cook onion, celery, pepper, and tomatoes for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add garlic in the last few minutes of cooking.
4. Add crawfish and cook for 20 minutes, covered, occasionally stirring on medium to low heat.

Cheese Layer Sauce

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and saute' the garlic until it is aromatic.
2. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add milk and cook until it starts to thicken.
4. Add cheeses and stir until they are melted into the sauce; turn off the heat and set aside.

Assembling

1. Spread a little of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Add half the noodles, then spread half the cheese filling on top.
3. Spoon half of the crawfish mixture on top of the cheese filling, then layer with the other half of the noodles.
4. Spread the other half of the cheese filling, then the rest of the crawfish.
5. Lastly, pour the sauce over the lasagna, spreading to cover.
6. Top with breadcrumbs and more shredded parmesan cheese

Baking

Bake for 45 minutes covered with foil, then 10 minutes uncovered. Let lasagna sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

HINT: You can also prepare the lasagna ahead of time to bake, refrigerate, or even freeze it, and then defrost it when you are ready to bake and serve it.

TOP TIP

Soaking the lasagna in hot water for 20 minutes tenderizes the noodles to al dente, and they finish cooking while baking the casserole.

You can also use oven-ready lasagna pasta; I usually soak these to ensure they cook all the way during baking.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these crawfish dishes:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cheesy Crawfish Lasagna, A Spicy Cajun Recipe:

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"If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced."

Vincent Van Gogh