Italian American

53 Recipes for Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian Seafood Bonanza

The traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner includes at least seven different types of seafood. And with these all-star recipes, you’ve got plenty to choose from.
Smoked trout croquettes on a platter with sliced lemons surrounded by plates a glass of white wine and a glass of Lambrusco.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow

Looking for recipes for your Feast of the Seven Fishes menu? We’ve got you covered with our best Italian and Italian American seafood recipes. This traditional Christmas Eve dinner, also called La Vigilia, features at least seven seafood courses, paying homage to the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic church. Here you’ll find briny baccalà, quick-cooking clams, San Francisco’s favorite seafood stew, and much, much more.

Seafood dishes are known for their speedy cook time, and these recipes are no exception. Many also happen to be effortless, giving you more time to focus on Christmas cookies and other holiday desserts. Round out your meal with our favorite vegetarian lasagna, Sicilian classic pasta alla Norma, or another one of our best pasta dishes. And if you want to turn the Feast of Seven Fishes into a snack-y cocktail party, we have a whole menu for that too.

  • A plate of Shrimp Scampi.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    1/53

    Shrimp Scampi

    One of our easiest Feast of the Seven Fishes recipes is an Italian American staple known for its buttery garlic sauce. Be sure to serve it with crusty bread to sop up all the juices.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    2/53

    Italian Fish and Vegetable Stew

    This speedy Italian stew is served over polenta, making it a lovely gluten-free addition to your Christmas Eve dinner. Several types of fish would work here, including cod, bass, or salmon.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    3/53

    Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Baked Halibut

    Forget the old Italian maxim of not mixing seafood with cheese: They pair magically in this comforting, oven-baked halibut dish. 

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    4/53

    Clams Casino With Bacon and Bell Pepper

    The richness of this classic Italian American appetizer is cut with a vinegary red bell pepper mixture, resulting in a bite that’s salty, smoky, and sweet all at once.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    7/53

    Smoked Trout Croquettes

    Filled with smoked trout, mozzarella, Parmesan, and chives, these bite-sized appetizers can be formed two days in advance and fried just before serving.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    8/53

    Broiled Cod With Fennel and Orange

    What’s the secret to the super-flavorful fish in this simple sheet-pan recipe? A zesty mayonnaise spread, which can easily be doubled or tripled when entertaining.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    9/53

    Oysters With Balsamic

    In this simple, refined appetizer, the combination of oysters with balsamic vinegar is bracing, refreshing, and a nice nod to Italy. Use the best balsamic you can find—just remember that a little goes a long way.

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  • Francesco Tonelli
    10/53

    Linguine With Clam Sauce

    For this classic pasta with clam sauce recipe (which comes from actor Stanley Tucci), you can either open the clams yourself over a bowl or ask your fishmonger to do it. For a more rustic presentation, don’t remove the shells at all.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    11/53

    Tonnato Eggs

    Creamy tonnato, which is made with canned, oil-packed tuna, works wonderfully in a punchy, make-ahead deviled egg filling.

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  • Charles Masters, food styling by Sue Li
    12/53

    Cioppino Seafood Stew With Gremolata Toasts

    Feel free to experiment with your choice of fish in this classic San Francisco seafood stew. It’s an ideal recipe for entertaining, given that you make the tomato base a day ahead.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    13/53

    Smoked Salmon Tartare

    Smoked salmon, but in tartare form. This holiday party appetizer can handle the spicy crunch of pickled green peppercorns. Serve with potato chips.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    14/53

    Pantry Pasta Puttanesca

    Keeping good, oil-packed tuna on hand is the key to this briny Italian pasta that happens to come together rather swifty. In fact, this dish is made entirely from pantry staples.

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  • Photo by David Japy
    21/53

    Oysters With Parmesan-Polenta Crust

    This crispy fried oyster dish features a crunchy polenta coating, salty Parmesan, and a touch of spice from ground chile. Serve with plenty of lemon wedges and aioli.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata.  Food Styling by Cyd McDowell.  Prop Styling by Paige Hicks
    22/53

    Cod Arracanato

    In this twist on baccalà arrancanato, a salt-cod dish popular along the Adriatic coast of Italy, fresh cod gets a boost from breadcrumbs, wine, and a generous glug of olive oil.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    23/53

    Salmon Nduja With Pickled Currants

    While spicy nduja is typically made with pork, fatty salmon works well, too. This sophisticated holiday starter is well-balanced thanks to a topping of tangy pickled currants.

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  • Kate Sears
    24/53

    Spicy and Greasy Rhode Island Calamari

    If your family doesn't think it blasphemous, opt for this Rhode Island–style fried calamari over an Italian American preparation. The cornmeal-crusted fried squid is tossed in a garlic and pickled-pepper butter sauce—no marinara needed.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    25/53

    Rock Shrimp Pasta With Spicy Tomato Sauce

    Here you’ll add pre-peeled shrimp to a pot of tomato sauce spiked with fennel and chiles. The key to really flavorful pasta? Cook until just shy of al dente, then finish it in the sauce.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    26/53

    Charred Asparagus With Citrus Bagna Cauda

    The Feast of Seven Fishes needs some vegetables too. A one-two punch of citrus zest and juice balances all the anchovy richness in this classic sauce, which makes a wonderful dressing for charred asparagus.

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  • Photo by Ditte Isager
    27/53

    Spaghetti With Mussels and White Beans

    Toss mussels and cannellini beans in a white wine and tomato sauce for a simple, elegant holiday meal. The final touch? A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley.

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  • Photo by David Malosh, Prop Styling by Cindy DiPrima, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    28/53

    Clams Arrabbiata

    For this spicy Italian clam braise, you’ll add waves of ingredients to a single pot (render the pancetta, toast the garlic, let the tomatoes get jammy…you get the idea) until they coalesce into a silky, concentrated sauce.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris
    29/53

    Garlicky Buttery Scallops

    This recipe is all about the glorious, savory union of shellfish and butter. The quickly cooked scallops get a hit of vinegar and a shower of basil to brighten them up. Do yourself a favor and leave the scallops alone while they sear so they can develop a crust.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    30/53

    Monkfish and Cauliflower Chowder

    Chopped cauliflower bulks up this fish chowder and offers another much-needed vegetable to the holiday table. Don’t forget bread for dunking.

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  • Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    31/53

    Mustard-Crusted Branzino

    Ask your fishmonger to butterfly your branzino to fast-track the cook time of a whole fish. With this shortcut, it only takes 10–15 minutes for the fish to roast in the oven.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
    32/53

    Pasta With Rock Shrimp, Chile, and Lemon

    Forget shrimp cocktail: We’re opting for shrimp pasta this holiday season. In addition to bonito flakes (a.k.a. dried, fermented fish), this pasta dish gets spiced with red chile and rounded out by lemon, tarragon, and scallions.

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  • Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    35/53

    Baked Sardines in Pepperonata

    Think you don't like sardines? This recipe might just change your mind. Here, whole fresh sardines are layered on top of a rich roasted pepper sauce and baked. According to Italian tradition, bread for dipping is essential. Opting for garlic bread also makes a nice touch.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    36/53

    Lobster Fra Diavolo

    The lobsters can be prepared and chilled up to six hours ahead in this spicy, rich holiday classic. If you can’t get your hands on whole live lobsters, swap in frozen lobster tails.

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  • Christina Holmes
    41/53

    Scott DeSimon's Lobster Stew

    The subtle seasonings (thyme, white pepper, Tabasco, salt, and chopped shallot) in this simple, yet rich stew won’t overwhelm the delicate lobster meat. If possible, try to purchase a female lobster—the roe adds a punch of brine to the butter sauce.

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  • Jonny Valiant
    42/53

    Roasted Potatoes and Haddock Puttanesca

    Puttanesca isn't just for pasta. In this family-style fish dish, anchovy fillets and black olives punch up a sauce hearty enough to stand up to meaty haddock or halibut quite nicely.

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  • Anders Schønnemann
    43/53

    Crab Linguine With Basil, Lemon, and Chile

    This fresh, colorful crab pasta is spiced with hot red chile, then mellowed with fragrant basil. A tangle of it pairs beautifully with crusty bread and a glass of chilled white wine.

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  • Sara Bonisteel
    44/53

    Dried Cod Fish Pie

    This salt-cod pie may be Greek in origin, but the rice, tomatoes, oregano, and parsley—not to mention the baccalà—make it perfectly at home on the Italian table.

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  • Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    45/53

    Sardines With Grilled Bread and Tomato

    In addition to tomatoes and sardines, this dish relies on fragrant olive oil and basil leaves to create a well-rounded bite. The sardines cook up just as well in a grill pan as they do over an open flame.

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  • Roland Bello
    46/53

    Octopus Salad

    Seafood salads that are simply dressed with olive oil and lemon–can be found all over Puglia. We love the dish as much for its gorgeous color palette as for its freshness and crunch.

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  • Photo by Liz Clayman
    47/53

    Citrus-Stuffed Branzini

    This zesty Italian seafood recipe features two kinds of citrus (lemons and oranges) as well as fresh basil. You can grill the fish or sear it in a cast-iron skillet—just make sure it’s blazing-hot.

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  • 48/53

    Seafood Risotto

    Featuring four kinds of seafood, including mussels, squid, scallops, and clams, this risotto really helps you up your table’s fish count. 

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani
    49/53

    Paccheri With Shellfish, Squid, and Tomatoes

    Sometimes, even with quick-cooking seafood, it’s worth it to spend time building layers of flavor into a sauce. Consider this recipe your proof.

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  • 50/53

    Oil-Poached Halibut With Tomatoes and Fennel

    In this hit Gourmet recipe, fennel and tomatoes simmer and soften when poached in olive oil. The halibut follows suit, picking up subtle hints of vegetables’ flavor while delicately cooking in their poaching oil.

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  • Photo by Beatriz Da Costa
    53/53

    Gamberoni Alla Casalinga Siciliana

    Southern Italy may be known for its cannoli, but it’s even more famous for its seafood, and no Feast of the Seven Fishes is complete without big juicy shrimp. Do yourself a favor and cook this dish a day ahead, then serve it at room temperature.

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Meredith Stettner has covered food and lifestyle for various publications and worked in content editing and digital marketing for clients in the health and e-commerce sectors. She covered Brooklyn restaurants, chefs, and lifestyle for Industry Magazine, hyper-local real estate news for Jersey Digs, and science for Mechanical Engineering. Her writing has ... Read More
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