The most delicious seven-course menu featuring traditional and creative seafood recipes to celebrate the Italian American tradition of “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” These crowd-pleasing recipes have been tested and approved over generations in my Italian-American family. If there's one thing that everyone from ages 1-92 agrees on, it's that this is one of the most special and anticipated meals of the year.
I've been reflecting on holiday traditions this year more than ever before. Some, because they are starting to feel a bit stale, others because they evoke a warm memory that I never want to end.
As the years tick on, things shift and change. The kids in our big family have grown up from the “cute Christmas” phase and have all landed smack in the “annoyed with us teenager phase”. No more little kids running around with the magic of Christmas in their eyes and that changes things.
And then last month my sister Becky and brother-in-law, sold their house in the Catskills, packed up their bags and cats, and moved to Lucca, Italy. A Christmas celebration without one of my siblings physically present will feel different, odd.
In my daily facetime call with Becky, while she enjoys the Italian pastry of the day (chocolate cream-filled cornetti today), I find myself craning my neck to take in her apartment and put myself in her new life.
This year I am holding on a little tighter to our Italian heritage and our Italian Christmas traditions, all in an effort to have Becky home with us, in some way.
What is Feast of the Seven Fishes?
There is a long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve, but the “Feast of the Seven Fishes” is very much an Italian American translation of a seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. It typically involves either 7 different types of seafood OR seafood cooked in 7 different ways.
The feast was celebrated every Christmas eve in my family with long tables filled with a variety of seafood dishes. This was where I ate my first raw oyster (at about 6 years old, and promptly spit it in the sink), and discovered my love for crab legs, and shrimp, and pasta with seafood.
If you are looking to mix things up a little or just try a new recipe for the holiday, may this post serve as inspiration to do just that.
Ok friend, let's get cooking! All recipes are highlighted in green—just click on the recipe name to access it!
FIRST COURSE: SMALL BITES, SHRIMP 3 WAYS.
Italian Olive Oil Shrimp Salad
Yes, 100% you should dedicate an entire course to multiple shrimp dishes. This is a FEAST, after all, so let's feast!
Italian olive oil shrimp salad is a traditional recipe, one that my Grandpa made every Christmas eve. My family has continued to make this recipe year after year, and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it.
This recipe is the epitome of Italian food, simple perfection. Start with a few good ingredients, shrimp, scallions, and really good olive oil (splurge on the good stuff for this recipe). The type of acid you add will cause a massive debate in my family. Red wine vinegar is classic, how my Grampa made it, balsamic vinegar, is my dad's preference. I leave out the acid altogether or just add a bit of lemon juice (how I'm convinced it's traditionally made in Italy).
Crispy Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Mayo
A twist on a crab cake using diced shrimp (you can use cooked shrimp in this recipe which makes it 100% easier!). This is a recipe that is best served fresh and hot, but you can prepare the cakes ahead of time and fry them in a hot skillet right before serving.
The Best Ever Shrimp Dip
Every good feast requires picky food that you can graze on throughout the evening, this shrimp dip is it!
Ideally served as guests arrive, place this near the bar so one can dip and sip at the same time May I suggest an Aperol spritz or the trendy drink of 2022 a Negroni Sbagliato.
SECOND COURSE: CRAB (AND LOBSTER IF YOU PLEASE)
Crab Legs with Herb Shallot Butter
I don't know how traditional crab legs are for Feast of the Seven Fishes, but my family always served them. They were the biggest treat and something we looked forward to every year. This recipe is simple as could be but don't skip the herb shallot butter, trust me!
THIRD COURSE: CLAMS AND OYSTERS
The Best 5 Ingredient Baked Clams Casino
Clams and oysters always make it on our holiday table, this is our favorite recipe for simple baked clams with bacon, shallots and herbed breadcrumbs. They take a bit of prep but then are easily baked in the oven for a wonderful treat.
If you serve oysters I recommend a classic mignonette sauce of diced shallot, red wine vinegar, and black pepper.
FOURTH COURSE: CALAMARI
Spicy Two Minute Calamari
Calamari sauteed with spicy peppers, tomato, and aromatics topped with crispy herbed breadcrumbs. No need to fry here, this dish will sure to wow any crowd. Serve with crusty bread for lots of dunking… or as the Italians call it “the bread sponge method” where you sop up all the goodies with bread.
FIFTH COURSE: SOUP
Wild Salmon Chowder
If you've been following me for a while you know soup is my love language, so obviously, there is a soup course in my seafood feast. This salmon chowder is the perfect gateway from the picky food into the more serious meal portion of the feast.
Fish Soup (Fiskisupa)
This soup is not inherently “Italian American” it hails from Iceland and although I've never spent Christmas Eve in Iceland, if I did, this is the soup I'd be serving. Rich and creamy with tender pieces of perfectly cooked fish, leeks, and potatoes, this is holiday comfort in a bowl. Perfect for a Feast of the Seven Fishes. This recipe is typically made with halibut.
Here are a few other seafood soup ideas: shrimp or lobster bisque, Tuscan clam chowder, fish stew, and Cioppino.
SIXTH COURSE: PASTA
Lobster Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Since we have a big family, when everyone gets together, it's great to have options and quantity. This creamy lobster pasta is a decadent crowd-pleaser and a true special occasion treat. This bowl always comes back to the kitchen empty.
Scallop Pasta with Parsley Butter
I am fairly certain that we had several pasta courses when my Grampa hosted “The Feast”, this is one of my favorites. Tender sweet scallops tossed with a garlic parsley pasta, perfection.
SEVENTH COURSE: FISH!
One Pan Cod in Tomato Butter Sauce
The final course of the feast should always (in my opinion) be a beautifully composed fish dish. This cod is my current favorite, swimming in a tomato butter sauce that will make you cry, this is the dish that will end the feast on the most festive note.
You can also try this Mediterranean cod or halibut with chickpeas.
There you have it, my menu for Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes. If you celebrate this in your home I'd love to hear what some of your traditional dishes are. If you are new to this tradition, may this serve as inspiration to try a new food tradition, and shake things up a bit!
Happy Holidays!
Brazina Impellizzeri says
This is definitely not a traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. We never used butter in our home. We had baccala, stuffed squid with breadcrumbs cooked in a homemade tomato sauce, fried smelts and made it up to seven with other dishes including pasta with anchovies and garlic topped with breadcrumbs and fresh parsley.
For dessert we had Sicilian cheesecake, nuts, dates and figs.
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
But here is the thing Brazina… this is “traditional” for my family. That is the exciting thing about Feast of the Seven Fishes, every Italian American family I know executes it a little bit differently. Butter was and is a staple in my Italian family kitchen, but we are a hybrid of many different cultures. Northern Italy uses butter frequently as well.
I love the sound of your traditional meals! A friend recently mentioned that her family always made anchovy pasta and now I am adding that to my list to try!
Christine G says
I have way too many vowels in my last name to have never experienced a Feast of the Seven Fishes! We always celebrated Christmas Eve with my mom’s Eastern European side of the family. And, when we went to my grandfather’s on Christmas Day, he did the American style ham…with some spaghetti of course! This has inspired me though…I may at least try to bring a seafood recipe to my cousin’s house this Christmas Eve…and I think I’ll perhaps transfer the full feast to New Year’s Eve! A new tradition perhaps!
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
Oh love that idea! We almost always have seafood on New Year’s Eve, so I am on board for that tradition – let’s name it… hmmm… “feast of MANY fish”???
Toni says
We do a cake of some sort with candy swedish fish as decoration – the kids gotta eat too !
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
Ha! I loved swedish fish as a kid 🙂 That’s so cute. I have the fondest memories of Feast of the Seven Fishes as a kid. I was about 5 years old when I tasted my first raw oyster and I spit it into the sink, hahah!
But… I do remember eating and loving the shrimp salad and seafood pasta.
Cheryl pappa says
I have eaten everyone of these dishes and they will not disappoint!
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
Well some of them are your recipes so… 😉
Eileen says
Everything looks amazing! I’m going to try the cod recipe during the holidays 😃.
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
Yay! I know you will love it!