An Italian Christmas Eve dinner, otherwise known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes, is a wonderful way to celebrate with loved ones, no matter what your heritage.
The fish and seafood we’ve chosen for our family celebration include mussels, clams, shrimp, squid, scallops, cod, and scungilli (whelk). Read on to learn a bit about the tradition and our favorite recipes for the occasion.
A Brief History of The Feast of the Seven Fishes
Although gathering friends and family together for a meatless meal on Christmas Eve is common throughout Italy, The Feast of the Seven Fishes is actually an Italian-American tradition. Why the feast includes exactly seven types of seafood remains a bit of a mystery as some say it honors the seven holy sacraments of the Catholic Church, while others say it marks the seven days of creation.
The idea of a multi-course seafood dinner on Christmas Eve (La Vigilia) began in Southern Italy, an area surrounded by the sea and known for its bountiful fresh fish and seafood. Immigrants from this area brought the tradition to America, and hence, the Feast of the Seven Fishes began its rise in popularity.
Even if you’re not of Italian heritage (and we are not), an Italian Christmas Eve dinner is a deliciously special way to celebrate with loved ones during the holiday season. Buon Natale!
About Our Menu
We have a number of Italian-inspired fish and seafood recipes, but this is by far our favorite combination of dishes for a Christmas Eve feast.
- Appetizers (Antipasti): To start the meal, we like to serve an assortment of light dishes so that our guests can leave some room for the pasta course and main dishes to come. Our Steamed Mussels Italian-Style, Clams Casino, a garlicky Scungilli Salad, and Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes fit that plan perfectly.
- First course (Primi): The first course in an Italian meal is usually a pasta course. For this meal, we’ve chosen one with a light red sauce, Squid in Marinara Sauce over linguine.
- Main course (Secondi): Our second, or entrée course consists of two dishes filled with Italian-inspired flavors, Baked Stuffed Shrimp and Baked Cod with Buttered Crumb Topping.
- Dessert course (Dolci): To finish the meal, we like to serve a small assortment of cookies that includes soft Ricotta Cookies and Orange Rosemary Biscotti, along with cups of espresso.
You can get more details on all these recipes below or, if you’re entertaining a smaller crowd, try our Linguine with Seafood (Linguine ai Frutti di Mare). It includes shrimp, scallops, squid, fish, mussels, and clams – six of your seven fishes. Add in one more dish (perhaps the Scungilli Salad) and you have your feast!
#1 – Steamed Mussels Italian Style
Steamed Mussels Italian Style
Served with toasted slices of crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices, these Italian-style steamed mussels make a delicious, light starter course that won't spoil appetites for the meal to come.
Key Ingredients: Fresh mussels, onion, garlic, plum tomatoes, white wine, breadcrumbs, parsley
Yield : 6 servings
Total Time : 35 minutes mins
Get the recipe
#2 – Clams Casino
Clams Casino
Tender, sweet, littleneck clams topped with a combination of bacon, shallot, red bell pepper, and white wine make a light, flavorful appetizer for an Italian-style dinner menu.
Key Ingredients: Littleneck clams, bacon, shallots, red bell pepper, white wine, parsley
Yield : 6 servings
Total Time : 35 minutes mins
Get the recipe
#3 – Snail (Scungilli) Salad
Snail (Scungilli) Salad
With a texture similar to calamari, Snail Salad (also known as Scungilli Salad) is a delicious appetizer to serve with an authentic Italian meal.
Key Ingredients: Scungilli (cooked and sliced), celery, onion, garlic, lemon juice, parsley
Yield : 4 servings
Total Time : 50 minutes mins
Get the recipe
#4 – Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes
Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes
Seared sea scallops, roasted tomatoes and a savory sauce of sautéed shallots, wine & lemon make a light, savory addition to this festive dinner celebration.
Key Ingredients: Sea scallops, grape tomatoes, shallots, butter, olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, parsley
Yield : 6 servings
Total Time : 35 minutes mins
Get the recipe
#5 – Calamari Pasta with Homemade Marinara
Calamari Pasta with Homemade Marinara
Our calamari pasta combines perfectly cooked squid with linguine, and homemade marinara sauce to make a deliciously easy pasta dinner.
Key Ingredients: Squid (calamari), linguine, garlic, canned tomatoes, oregano, parsley
Yield : 4 servings
Total Time : 45 minutes mins
Get the recipe
#6 – Baked Cod with Buttered Crumb Topping
Baked Cod with Buttered Crumb Topping
This foolproof recipe for baked cod fillets features a topping of fresh breadcrumbs, lemon, butter, and garlic. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and guarantees that the fish bakes up moist, flaky, and filled with flavor.
Key Ingredients: Cod fillets, fresh breadcrumbs, butter, garlic, parsley, lemon
Yield : 4 servings
Total Time : 30 minutes mins
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#7 – Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Baked stuffed shrimp is a time-tested New England restaurant dish that’s easy to make at home and a great choice for a special occasion dinner.
Key Ingredients: Colossal shrimp, butter, garlic, fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley
Yield : 4 servings
Total Time : 40 minutes mins
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Italian Ricotta Cookies
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Flavored with a bit of limoncello liqueur, our Italian Ricotta Cookies are a cinch to make and a perennial favorite for the holidays.
Key Ingredients: Ricotta cheese, egg, lemon extract, lemon zest, limoncello liqueur, confectioners' sugar
Yield : 36 cookies
Total Time : 1 hour hr
Get the recipe
Orange Rosemary Biscotti
Orange Rosemary Biscotti
Flavored with fresh rosemary, orange zest, orange liqueur, and toasted pine nuts, these flavorful biscotti are perfect for holiday gift-giving.
Key Ingredients: Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, orange zest, pine nuts, fresh rosemary
Yield : 36 biscotti
Total Time : 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Get the recipe
