Crab Lasagne Recipe
by Galton Blackiston
4
4 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients

Pasta

  • 3 medium eggs
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 500g of 00 flour
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 pinch of saffron threads, infused in 1 tbsp boiling water

Gruyère Sauce

  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 strip of lemon peel
  • 25ml of Noilly Prat vermouth
  • 120ml of whipping cream
  • 150g of Gruyère, grated, plus extra for finishing

Lasagne

  • 200g of white crab meat, fresh not canned
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • rapeseed oil
  • 150g of baby spinach
  • 4 plum tomatoes, skinned and sliced
Method
1

To make the pasta, first lightly whisk the egg yolks with the whole eggs. Then, place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse to bring together

  • 3 medium eggs
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 500g of 00 flour
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 pinch of saffron threads, infused in 1 tbsp boiling water
2

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well until smooth

3

Divide the dough into 4, and wrap each piece in clingfilm. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours, to let the dough rest

4

Cut each piece of dough into 2. Take 1 of the pieces and, on a lightly floured surface, flatten it with your hands until it is about 1-2cm thick. Roll the flattened dough through a pasta machine repeatedly, folding the sheet in half each time, and gradually making your way to 2 notches from the thinnest setting

5

Lay the resulting long strip of pasta on your work surface. Using a 7.5cm round cutter, cut out several round pieces of pasta. You need 2 discs per serving for the lasagne, although I always cut a couple of extra

6

Repeat with the other piece of pasta dough

7

Allow the pasta discs to dry out while you make the Gruyère cream sauce

8

To make the sauce, heat up a frying pan, and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shallots and fry until softened, 5-8 minutes. Add the lemon peel and vermouth and bring to the boil

  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 strip of lemon peel
  • 25ml of Noilly Prat vermouth
9

Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half

10

Add the cream and Gruyère, bring back to the boil and simmer again

  • 120ml of whipping cream
  • 150g of Gruyère, grated
11

Pass the sauce through a fine sieve to make sure it's completely smooth

12

To assemble the lasagne, first pick over the crab meat to remove any pieces of shell

  • 200g of white crab meat, fresh not canned
13

Drop the pasta discs into a pan of gently boiling salted water. Cook for about 3 minutes, then lift out with a slotted spoon. Quickly season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add a splash of olive oil

  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
14

Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a splash of rapeseed oil. Sauté the spinach until just wilted. Season the spinach with salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • rapeseed oil
  • 150g of baby spinach
15

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Lightly oil a large baking tray. Place the 4 pastry rings on the tray, and place the pasta discs into the rings. Divide the spinach between the discs and top with the white crab meat and 2 slices of tomato. Finish with another pasta disc and spoon over a little bit of the Gruyère sauce and some extra grated Gruyère

  • 4 plum tomatoes, skinned and sliced
16

Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned. Serve immediately