Recipe: Pacific and Columbia Lasagna

This is from The Lewis and Clark Cookbook which we picked up as a gift for friends on our recent trip.

PACIFIC AND COLUMBIA LASAGNA
Source: The Lewis & Clark Cookbook: With Contemporary Recipes by Teri Evenson, Lauren Lesmeister, Jeff Evenson

SAUCE:
1/3 cup butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1/3 cup sifted flour
2 six and a half-ounce cans of chopped clams, including the juice
1 cup of whole milk
2 cups of cream
1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
LASAGNA:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and cooled
1 cup smoked salmon, flaked and deboned
2 1/2 cups spinach, chopped and well drained
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 pound shrimp, deveined, peeled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

TO MAKE SAUCE:
Saute shallot and garlic in butter until shallot is translucent.

Stir in flour and mix until a paste is formed. Stir in clams, milk, and cream. When smooth, add Gouda, Parmesan and Cheddar. Add spices and liquid smoke. Stir constantly until cheese is melted. Turn off heat and set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE LASAGNA:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Put a little sauce in the bottom of pan. Arrange 3 noodles on bottom. Spoon a little sauce on noodles. Evenly distribute salmon.

Next, layer 3 more noodles and top with spinach, tomatoes, and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top of that and then place the last layer or noodles. Arrange shrimp, remaining sauce and add remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to set for 15 minutes.

Cut into squares. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Yield: 9 squares