55 Seafood Recipes For Your Feast Of The Seven Fishes Dinner (2024)

Warning: It may be difficult to choose just seven.

By Dora Villarosa and Mackenzie Filson
55 Seafood Recipes For Your Feast Of The Seven Fishes Dinner (1)

The holidays are full of (often super-delicious) traditions, and the Feast of the Seven Fishes is no exception. It involves family gathering for a feast of seven seafood dishes, or several kinds of fish prepared—you guessed it—in seven different ways. Italian-American families began preparing the seven-course dinner way back in the early 1900s, as a way to feel close to home while celebrating all the bounties of the sea on Christmas Eve (a day that Catholics traditionally don't consume meat). Such a feast calls for plenty of options, and we've got all kinds of seafood recipes to please everyone in your Christmas Eve crew!

So what are these seven fishes anyway? Well, there aren't necessarily any true rules to which fish you serve, but there are some clear favorites: anchovies (try them in our bagna cauda dip), sardines, shrimp (perhaps some shrimp scampi?), squid (fried calamari, naturally), mussels (especially with tomatoes and garlic), clams (linguine with clams is always a slam-dunk), lobster, and cod.

Those familiar with this feast have some advice to share with newbies. First, there are going to be lots of courses, so don't go overboard when purchasing ingredients for any one dish. Second, plan to start light and serve the fried items last (this way, your guests don't fill up too fast). That being said, if you really want to go maximalist with your seafood feast, be sure to add in a few seafood appetizers too.

Just because it's the Feast of the Seven Fishes doesn't mean you can only serve fish. We recommend a pleasing platter of antipasto bites for an authentic kickoff before you dive in!

1

Linguine With Clams

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When you want a bit of decadence and elegance at the dinner table, but don't have time to make a super-fancy meal, this your recipe. It's so simple, it can be thrown together in about 30 minutes. That wine sauce is perfection.

Get the Linguine With Clams recipe.

2

Salmon En Croute

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A cheesy, garlicky, spinach mixture is the perfect balance to a tender salmon fillet. Everything is nestled together in the puff pastry dough, and after 20 minutes in the oven, you’ll have a buttery, flaky crust with perfectly tender salmon inside.

Get the Salmon En Croute recipe.

3

Lobster Risotto

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When you think of decedent dinners, there are few that can outshine the rich, creamy, seafood-stuffed glory that is lobster risotto. A simple combination of fresh aromatics, white wine, and seafood stock transforms humble Italian rice grains into the dreamy, cheesy, luscious rice porridge that we’ve all come to love.

Get the Lobster Risotto recipe.

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4

Crispy Fried Calamari

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Fried calamari doesn't have to be reserved for beachfront restaurants. It's easy to make at home and comes out extra-crispy and crunchy. A squeeze of lemon juice and fresh marinara and you're ready to go. After you master this, give fish and chips a go!

Get the Crispy Fried Calamari recipe.

5

Cioppino

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Since plenty of seafood is available year-round, we went with four of our favorites: shrimp, clams, mussels, and halibut. The perfect accompaniment to cioppino has got to be crusty bread to sop up any remaining soup. A crispy French loaf would be great, but we also love to really highlight the flavors of San Francisco with a bit of sourdough.

Get the Cioppino recipe.

6

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Shrimp Scampi

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Classic shrimp scampi is one of our favorite Italian American dishes. What could possibly beat plump shrimp spiked with garlic and lemon over pasta? How about all of that tossed in a Parmesan cream sauce. This Cheesecake Factory staple is a seafood lover’s dream!

Get the Copycat Cheesecake Factory Shrimp Scampi recipe.

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7

Roasted Shrimp co*cktail With Lemon-Horseradish Aioli

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This twist on a dinner party classic embraces the signature flavors of shrimp co*cktail and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Typically, shrimp co*cktail brings to mind a large platter of chilled shrimp and a sweet, tangy sauce.

Get the Roasted Shrimp co*cktail With Lemon-Horseradish Aioli recipe.

8

Tuscan Butter Scallops

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We switched up our creamy Tuscan chicken—one of our most popular chicken dinners—by swapping out the chicken for buttery, delicate scallops and keeping the well-loved iconic flavors.

Get the Tuscan Butter Scallops recipe.

9

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon & Orzo

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When you’re in the mood for a one-pan dinner that delivers on the comfort food factor, this recipe with creamy orzo and sun-dried tomatoes is the one to turn to. The sauce is especially delicious thanks to one of our favorite ingredients: sun-dried tomatoes.

Get the .

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10

Cornbread-Stuffed Mussels

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Tender, stuffed mushrooms, packed to the gills with flavorful bread crumbs, are a staple hors d'oeuvres. But these mussels will make you rethink if mushrooms are the only things that should be stuffed. Feeling like you want to add some spice? Toss some diced jalapeños in there!

Get the Cornbread-Stuffed Mussels recipe.

11

Lobster Ravioli

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For this version of lobster ravioli, we used wonton wrappers instead of pasta dough. If you want actual pasta-encased lobster ravioli, then our pasta dough is great; otherwise, we promise you’re going to make these over and over again.

Get the Lobster Ravioli recipe.

12

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

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Bacon-wrapped scallops are one of those dishes that wow guests but secretly are so easy to make (only 5 ingredients!). For best results, use big sea scallops and thin-cut, conventional bacon, but feel free to swap out the herbs for whatever you like.

Get the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops recipe.

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13

Pasta Puttanesca

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The super-fragrant sauce is made with a lot of garlic and anchovies that will have you begging for seconds. It's definitely a break from the classic spaghetti and meatballs, especially with the capers and olives adding a briny saltiness to this classic dish. Serve it with the best garlic bread ever and call it a day.

Get the Pasta Puttanesca recipe.

14

Fish Pie

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America does have a couple of staple savory pies (chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie to name a few). And though their food can sometimes get an unjustly bad rap, the Brits really know how to make a flaky, comforting fish pie filled with all your favorite veg and protein.

Get the Fish Pie recipe.

15

Roasted Red Pepper Shrimp Linguine

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Creamy, smoky, and spicy, this comforting shrimp pasta is low effort, high reward. Thanks to store-bought roasted peppers, very little active cooking time is required. Though you totally could roast your own peppers, we actually preferred the jarred version rather than homemade roasted peppers while testing this recipe!

Get the Roasted Red Pepper Shrimp Linguine recipe.

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16

Bagna Cauda

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Looking for a fancy last-minute appetizer? Look no further than bagna cauda, an Italian dip that comes together in just 20 minutes with only 6 ingredients (including what you pair it with for dipping). It’s a buttery sauce made from lots of garlic and anchovies (stick with us), that somehow work together to create a dip that’s a little pungent, a little sweet, and will keep you coming back for more.

Get the Bagna Cauda recipe.

17

Easy Baked Salmon

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This baked salmon is the best way to feed a crowd. There's no skillet cooking at all—everything is oven-baked in foil, making prep and cleanup a breeze. We believe it might just be the best baked salmon recipe...ever, and it goes super well with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Get the Baked Salmon recipe.

18

Salmon & Potato Skillet

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We love a hands-off dinner, and this salmon and potato skillet is just that. In just 45 minutes, you’ll have an easy, delicious, and filling meal that can be customized every time you make it.

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19

Grilled Oysters

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Grilling not only makes oysters easier to shuck and serve—the heat loosens the shell, meaning you just need to gently pop off the lid—it also heightens their briny flavor and imparts a subtly smoky char.

Get the Grilled Oysters recipe.

20

Shrimp Scampi

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Shrimp scampi is an Italian-American dish that is usually made using plump, pink shrimp served over a heaping bowl of pasta. We added buttery bread crumbs to this dish and think it would go killer over some zoodles.

Get the Classic Shrimp Scampi recipe.

55 Seafood Recipes For Your Feast Of The Seven Fishes Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What is the Italian tradition of seven fishes on Christmas Eve? ›

The Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian: Festa dei Sette Pesci) is an Italian American celebration of Christmas Eve with dishes of fish and other seafood. It is not a "feast" in the sense of "holiday", but rather a grand meal.

What do Italians eat on Christmas Eve? ›

Italian Christmas Eve - Feast of the Seven Fishes

Bring on the sword fish, tuna, salmon, octopus salad, smelts, calamari, spaghetti with clam sauce and the famous Italian classic—salted cod, known as baccalà. The Feast of the Seven Fishes can also include other meatless dishes, which vary by region.

Is the 7 fishes dinner Catholic? ›

There is no such thing as the Feast of Seven Fishes on the Roman Catholic calendar. There never has been an official feast with this name in Italy or the United States. In fact, most sources agree that serving fish on Christmas Eve is mainly practiced by Southern Italians, when it's practiced at all.

Do Sicilians celebrate Feast of Seven Fishes? ›

Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as La Vigilia (The Vigil), is a Sicilian-American traditional dinner on Christmas Eve. Like many Italian traditions, the origin and rules are debated.

What religion is the Feast of the Seven Fishes? ›

The feast of the seven fishes is based on ancient Catholic tradition. Learn how to celebrate this Christmas Eve banquet! For centuries, Catholics fasted before important holy days, including Christmas Day. They held “vigil” from sunset to sunrise, symbolically awaiting the holy event to come.

Do all Italians celebrate Feast of the Seven Fishes? ›

To the surprise and shock of many Italian-Americans, the long-held holiday meal tradition in which seven different seafood dishes are served on Christmas Eve is virtually unknown to most Italians living in Italy.

What is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner? ›

Fish provides the main dish of the Christmas Eve feast across Poland. There are variations of carp fillet, carp in aspic, gefilte fish (Jewish-style carp), sweet with onions, carrots, almonds and raisins. Accompaniments consist of cabbage, cooked red or sauerkraut with apple salad.

What do the seven fishes represent? ›

What is the significance of the Feast of the Seven Fishes? There's no real consensus on what the seven fishes signify—some people claim the number seven symbolizes the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church while others say it's meant to represent the seven days of the week or the seven hills of Rome.

Which type of food is not eaten in Italy on Christmas Eve? ›

La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve) Foods

Catholic tradition prohibits the consumption of meat on the evenings before religious holidays. Most Italians, therefore, eat a fishy feast on Christmas Eve.

What do they call Santa in Italy? ›

Italian children call Santa Claus 'Babbo Natale'. He is becoming more popular in Italy for gift giving on Christmas Day but La Befana, the old woman who delivers gifts on Epiphany on 6th January, is still more common.

What do Italy drink on Christmas Day? ›

One of the most common drinks to be sipped at Christmas is Mulled Wine. Since medieval times, good old Mulled Wine has been the drink to warm up the body at winter time. In Italy, this drink is also known as Vin Brulé, although depending on how you take this drink, there's are difference.

Why do Catholics eat fish but not meat? ›

It's important to note that the rules for Lent and Good Friday were developed centuries ago, when meat was the food of celebrations. Back then, fish was not considered a “celebratory” dish, and so was perfectly acceptable to eat on a day of penance.

Why can Catholics eat fish but not beef? ›

The likely reason is that fish are cold-blooded, which back in the 9th century is how meat was classified. If it didn't traditionally bleed, it was not meat and was fair game. This effectively restricted faithful Christians from eating birds and mammals, though flexible definitions muddied this rule over time.

Why can't you eat meat on Christmas Eve? ›

For a long time, Christians were supposed to refrain from eating meat until the midnight mass. It's no longer required by religious authorities to not eat meat on Christmas Eve, but the tradition has continued nonetheless.

What is a traditional Christmas Eve seafood dish in many southern European cultures? ›

Traditionally, baccalà, or dried salted cod, is the most common Christmas Eve dish for southern Italians. You must soak the fish for a day or two to get rid of the salt, which is used as a preservative.

What are some of the special dishes connected to all Saints Day and what do they represent? ›

The hearty fiambre salad is probably the largest you'll ever have—it can include up to 50 ingredients! The giant salad's origins begin with All Saints' Day. To honor their departed loved ones, family members would bring different foods to their family graves.

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