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.

By Meredith Stettner and The Editors of Epicurious

December 6, 2022

Smoked trout croquettes on a platter with sliced lemons surrounded by plates a glass of white wine and a glass of Lambrusco.

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.

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. (Looking for a shrimp scampi pasta? We have you covered there, too.)
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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 Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad
5/53
Lemony Risotto With Asparagus and Shrimp
Great risotto requires a solid cooking technique. Put in a little time and patience, and this succulent rice and shrimp dish has all the trimmings of an impressive main course for your holiday feast.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Mindy Fox
6/53
Pasta With 15-Minute Garlic, Oil, and Anchovy Sauce
Toasted breadcrumbs provide crunch to this easy anchovy pasta made from just a few pantry staples.
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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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Photo by 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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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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