A Taste of Elegance: White Sauce Shrimp-Spinach Lasagne

There are certain dishes that, for me, conjure up the comforting hum of a dinner party in full swing, the clinking of glasses, and the murmur of happy conversation. This White Sauce Shrimp-Spinach Lasagne is one of them. I remember the first time I made it, years ago, for a gathering of close friends. The aroma that filled my kitchen was intoxicating – a delicate dance of garlic, savory shrimp, and the subtle richness of a béchamel. Seeing the surprised delight on my guests’ faces as they savored each bite, realizing this wasn’t your everyday lasagne, was incredibly rewarding. It’s a dish that feels sophisticated without being stuffy, a testament to how simple, quality ingredients, treated with care, can create something truly special.

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Servings: 8
• Yield: 1 casserole
• Dietary Type: Contains Dairy, Gluten

Ingredients

This recipe is a carefully orchestrated symphony of flavors and textures, designed to impress. Let’s gather our players:

For the Pasta Base:

• 8 ounces spinach linguine, cooked au dente
• 8 ounces linguine, cooked au dente

For the Shrimp and Vegetable Sauté:

• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and de-tailed
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped (for the initial sauté)
• 1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

For the Creamy White Sauce (Béchamel):

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 2/3 cups whole milk, pre-warmed to 100-degrees F
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon white pepper
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Rich Filling and Topping:

• 24 ounces cottage cheese, small curd
• 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and chopped

For Preparation:

• Cooking spray

Equipment Needed

To bring this culinary creation to life, you’ll want to have these on hand:

• A large, non-stick skillet
• A double boiler setup (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water)
• A whisk
• A 9″ x 13″ or larger casserole dish
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Knives and cutting board

Instructions

This lasagne, while requiring a bit of multi-tasking, is remarkably straightforward when you follow each step carefully. The reward for your effort is a dish that truly sings.

1. Prepare the Pasta and Preheat the Oven: Begin by ensuring your spinach linguine and linguine are cooked al dente and ready for use. Next, preheat your oven to 375-degrees F.

2. Sauté the Aromatics and Vegetables: In a large non-stick skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of salted butter over medium heat. Add in the 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the 2 chopped garlic cloves. Stir for a moment, then carefully pour about two-thirds of this fragrant blend into a separate bowl and set it aside. Continuing over the medium heat in the skillet, add the chopped onion, chopped mushrooms, and minced jalapeno pepper. Allow this vegetable mixture to tenderize, stirring occasionally, for approximately 6 minutes.

3. Cook the Shrimp: Remove the softened vegetable blend from the skillet and set it aside. Return the skillet to the heat and re-add the reserved melted butter and oil blend. Now, add the raw shrimp to the skillet. Sprinkle the Old Bay Seasoning evenly over the shrimp. Sauté over medium heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove the cooked shrimp from the pan and set them aside. You can discard the remaining butter blend in the skillet or save it for another culinary adventure.

4. Craft the White Sauce (Béchamel): Set up your double boiler. Fill the bottom section with about 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. In the dry top section of the double boiler, melt the 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once melted, pour in the pre-warmed whole milk. As the milk begins to yield a gentle steam, whisk in the minced garlic, kosher salt, and white pepper. When the mixture comes to a boil, gradually whisk in the all-purpose flour, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency, which should be about as thick as pancake batter. Allow this sauce to continue at a low boil for 15 minutes, whisking with great frequency. If the sauce becomes too thick during this process, you can add more pre-warmed milk, a quarter cup at a time, until you achieve the perfect consistency. Once the 15 minutes are up, remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.

5. Assemble the First Layer: Lightly spray your 9″ x 13″ or larger casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread about one-third of the white sauce evenly across the bottom of the dish, ensuring most of the base is covered. Next, lay in a little more than half of the cooked pasta – approximately 60%. This will be a mix of your spinach linguine and linguine. Cover this layer of pasta with all of the cottage cheese, spreading it evenly. Finally, distribute the thawed and chopped frozen spinach all over the top of the cottage cheese.

6. Build the Remaining Layers: Evenly layer the remaining pasta across the top of the spinach. Drizzle the remaining white sauce evenly over this pasta layer. Arrange the cooked shrimp in a single layer over the white sauce. Next, distribute the sautéed onion-mushroom-jalapeno mixture evenly across the dish. Top this with all of the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and the grated Asiago cheese. For a final flourish, sprinkle the dried parsley across the top as a beautiful garnish.

7. Bake and Broil to Perfection: Place the assembled casserole dish on the middle rack of your preheated oven, which is set to 375-degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, change your oven setting to BROIL. Move the oven rack to one position below the top rack. Broil the lasagne until there is some light browning across the top, which should take approximately 2-3 minutes. Watch this stage very carefully, as the top can burn quickly. Once it achieves a lovely light golden hue, remove the dish from the oven.

8. Rest and Serve: Allow the White Sauce Shrimp-Spinach Lasagne to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into serving sizes. This resting period is crucial for the lasagne to set up, making it easier to slice and serve cleanly.

Expert Tips & Tricks

• Pasta Perfection: When cooking your linguine, err on the side of slightly underdone if you’re not serving immediately. It will continue to cook in the oven, and you want to avoid mushy pasta. For spinach linguine, if you can’t find it, you can use regular linguine and add about 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh spinach to the pasta water towards the end of its cooking time.
• White Sauce Smoothness: To ensure your béchamel is impeccably smooth, always whisk the flour into the melted butter first, creating a roux, and cook it for a minute or two before gradually adding the warmed milk. This helps to cook out the raw flour taste and achieve a silkier texture.
• Moisture Control: For the frozen spinach, be sure to squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible after thawing. Excess water can make your lasagne watery.
• Cheese Blend: Feel free to adjust the cheese blend to your liking. A good sharp cheddar could be swapped in for some of the Monterey Jack, or a touch of Parmesan could be added alongside the Asiago for an extra punch of flavor.
• Make-Ahead Magic: You can assemble the entire lasagne up to the point of baking, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before placing it in the preheated oven, and you may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

This White Sauce Shrimp-Spinach Lasagne is a showstopper on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a crisp green salad dressed with a light vinaigrette to cut through the richness. Hot, fresh garlic bread, buttered Parker House Rolls, or even a hearty Texas Toast are also delightful accompaniments that soak up any extra sauce.

Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, it’s best to gently warm individual portions in the microwave or in a covered ovenproof dish at 350°F (175°C) until heated through to maintain the integrity of the textures. Freezing is also an option; allow the lasagne to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating as directed.

Nutritional Information

Nutrient	Amount per Serving	% Daily Value
Calories	821.2 kcal	–
Calories from Fat	–	393 g
Total Fat	43.7 g	67%
Saturated Fat	24 g	119%
Cholesterol	192.3 mg	64%
Sodium	976.5 mg	40%
Total Carbohydrate	56.6 g	18%
Dietary Fiber	5.3 g	21%
Sugars	6.7 g	26%
Protein	50.2 g	100%

(Note: Nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.)

Variations & Substitutions

While this recipe is exquisite as is, here are a few ways to put your own spin on it:

• Seafood Swap: If shrimp isn’t your preference, consider using cooked crab meat, bay scallops, or a combination of seafood for a different flavor profile.
• Vegetarian Delight: For a meatless version, omit the shrimp and increase the mushrooms, or add in other vegetables like blanched broccoli florets, sautéed zucchini, or roasted red peppers.
• Gluten-Free: To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free linguine and a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the béchamel. Ensure your Old Bay Seasoning is also gluten-free.
• Creamier Sauce: For an even richer white sauce, you could incorporate a bit of heavy cream into the milk mixture, or add a touch of grated Parmesan cheese directly into the sauce while it’s still warm.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Why do I need to pre-warm the milk for the white sauce?
A: Pre-warming the milk helps it emulsify more smoothly with the butter and flour mixture, preventing lumps and ensuring a silkier béchamel sauce.

Q: Can I use dried spinach instead of frozen?
A: Yes, but you’ll need to rehydrate it according to package directions and then squeeze out all excess water thoroughly before adding it to the lasagne.

Q: My white sauce is lumpy. What did I do wrong?
A: Lumps usually form when the flour isn’t whisked smoothly into the butter before adding liquid, or if cold milk is added too quickly. Ensure you’re whisking constantly and gradually incorporate the milk.

Q: How can I make this less spicy if I’m sensitive to heat?
A: You can omit the jalapeno pepper entirely, or use a milder pepper like a poblano, removing the seeds and membranes for minimal heat.

Q: Can I make this dish ahead of time and freeze it?
A: Absolutely. Assemble the lasagne, let it cool completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed, potentially adding a little extra baking time.

Final Thoughts

This White Sauce Shrimp-Spinach Lasagne is more than just a recipe; it’s an experience. It’s about bringing loved ones together, sharing delicious food, and creating lasting memories around the table. I encourage you to try this recipe, to savor the process, and to share the joy it brings. Don’t hesitate to adapt it to your personal tastes and share your triumphs with me – happy cooking!