Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that is loved by many for its rich, indulgent flavors. But like many pasta dishes, lasagna can also be high in carbohydrates. This is especially true for traditional lasagna made with white pasta noodles and layers of cheese. For people looking to reduce their carb intake, seafood lasagna can be a great lower-carb alternative to classic lasagna.
What are the key ingredients in seafood lasagna?
While traditional lasagna is made with white noodles, ground meat, tomato sauce, and cheese, seafood lasagna substitutes the meat with varieties of fish and shellfish. The other primary ingredients are still used, just in different proportions:
- Noodles – Many recipes call for replacing traditional white pasta noodles with noodles made from vegetables, like zucchini, spinach, or butternut squash. These vegetable-based noodles pack more nutrients and typically have fewer carbs than regular pasta.
- Seafood – Shrimp, crab meat, lobster meat, white fish, and scallops are popular seafood choices for lasagna. Clams, mussels, calamari, and salmon also work well.
- Cheese – You still get cheesy goodness with seafood lasagna, but lighter versions use less cheese between the layers. Popular options are ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella.
- Sauce – The tomato or cream sauce helps bind the ingredients together. Some recipes use a tomato-based sauce while others opt for an Alfredo-style cream sauce.
How do the carbs compare between seafood lasagna and regular lasagna?
Traditional lasagna can have anywhere from 30-60g net carbs per serving. Exact carb counts depend on the specific ingredients used, but a typical heavy lasagna with white noodles, cheese-heavy fillings, and meat sauce can easily get up into the 60g range. Seafood lasagna has a fraction of the carbs in comparison:
| Lasagna Type | Net Carbs Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Traditional Beef Lasagna (with white noodles) | Around 60g |
| Seafood Lasagna (with veggie noodles) | Around 15-20g |
By swapping out the traditional pasta for vegetable-based noodles and reducing the amount of cheese, you can cut the carb count significantly while still enjoying lasagna flavors.
What are some tips for reducing carbs in seafood lasagna?
Here are some tips for keeping your seafood lasagna low in carbs:
Choose vegetable noodles
Zucchini, spinach, eggplant, or butternut squash noodles have a fraction of the carbs – around 5g net carbs per cup versus 40g in regular wheat pasta. Spiralizing vegetables into noodles or purchasing pre-made vegetable noodles helps lower the carb count.
Load up on seafood
Seafood is naturally low carb, so fill your lasagna with plenty of it. Combinations like shrimp and scallops, crab meat and lobster meat, or salmon and whitefish make excellent pairings. Avoid adding breadcrumbs or flour-based fillers.
Use moderate amounts of cheese
While cheese adds great flavor, it also adds carbs. Use ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella for the cheesy flavor, but lay off heavy hand when layering it between the noodles.
Pick a vegetable-based sauce
Tomato-based sauces are lower carb than cream-based Alfredo sauces. Making your own sauce allows you to control the carb count. Avoid adding sugar or starchy thickeners.
Watch portions
Even though it’s lower carb, lasagna is still high in calories. Keep portions around 1 square or 1 cup per serving to keep calories in check.
Sample recipe and nutrition info
Here is a sample recipe for seafood lasagna using veggie noodles. It uses a mix of ricotta cheese, shrimp, and scallops for around 17g net carbs per serving:
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 lb raw shrimp
- 1 lb scallops
- 24 oz tomato sauce
- 1 egg
- 8 oz mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Spiralize zucchini into long noodle strands.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Layer the lasagna by putting down a layer of sauce, then a layer of zucchini noodles, ricotta mix, shrimp & scallops, and mozzarella. Repeat until ingredients used up.
- Bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and top is browned.
- Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Nutrition per Serving
| Calories | 425 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 16g |
| Protein | 43g |
| Net Carbs | 17g |
Adding lots of low carb seafood really helps keep the net carbs down compared to traditional beef or cheese lasagnas. And using zucchini noodles instead of wheat pasta slashes the carbs even more.
What are other low carb pasta replacements?
In addition to zucchini noodles, here are some other low carb pasta replacements to consider:
Spaghetti Squash
Roasted spaghetti squash strands have a noodle-like texture with only 5g net carbs per cup.
Shirataki Noodles
These translucent konjac noodles are made over 90% water and have only 1g net carb per serving.
Edamame Noodles
Noodles made from edamame (soybeans) offer 16g protein and 8g net carbs per serving.
Kelp Noodles
Seaweed-based noodles provides vitamin C and minerals, with just 2g net carbs per cup.
Palmini Noodles
Heart of palm-based noodles have a tender texture and 5g net carbs per serving.
Swapping even half of the regular pasta for one of these lower carb options can help cut back on carbs while still enjoying the texture of noodles.
What are the benefits of choosing seafood lasagna?
Some benefits of seafood lasagna include:
- Lower in carbs than regular lasagna
- Provides lean protein from seafood
- Rich in vitamins and minerals
- Vegetable noodles add fiber and nutrients
- Tomato-based sauce offers lycopene
- May help lower blood pressure
- Offers variety to diet
The combination of seafood, veggies, tomato sauce, and cheese makes seafood lasagna a nutritious choice that offers a break from everyday proteins while still keeping carb counts in check.
Conclusion
Enjoying lasagna doesn’t have to mean piling on the carbs. By substituting seafood for meat, vegetable noodles for wheat noodles, and moderating cheese, you can make a flavorful lasagna with around 15-20g net carbs per serving. Compare that to a white pasta cheese lasagna at 60g per serving, and seafood lasagna is clearly the winner if watching your carb intake. With some creative substitutions, you can still enjoy lasagna flavors and textures while sticking to a low carb diet.