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

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.

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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 seafood is served at the Feast of the Seven Fishes? ›

This pasta involves seven fish: clams, mussels, halibut, shrimp, anchovy, calamari and scallops. It's nice to have a whole fish, head and tail included, to signify abundance.

What are the original 7 fishes Christmas Eve? ›

Typical "fishes" include baccalà (salt cod), frutti di mare (shellfish), capitone (eel), calamari (squid), scungilli (conch meat) and vongole (clams). Fried vegetables are also a popular accompaniment to the fish; expect fried artichokes, pickled vegetables, fried squash blossoms, and other treats.

What fish are good for the seven fishes? ›

Typical feast

The meal's components may include some combination of anchovies, whiting, lobster, sardines, baccalà (dried salt cod), smelts, eels, squid, octopus, shrimp, mussels and clams. The menu may also include pasta, vegetables, baked goods and wine.

Is Feast of Seven Fishes a Catholic thing? ›

The number seven stems from the biblical importance of the number and its lucky connotation. While many of these symbols are taken from Catholicism and Italian tradition, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is virtually unheard of in Italy and instead is considered an Italian-American tradition.

What does 7 fishes mean? ›

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.

Why is it called the Feast of the Seven Fishes? ›

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a Christmas Eve tradition in Italian-American households, particularly among families with Southern Italian roots. It typically involves serving a multi-course seafood dinner, and the number seven is symbolic of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church.

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 is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner? ›

The Wigilia supper

A Christmas Eve dinner excludes meat, as abstinence is required, and should comprise twelve distinct dishes in memory of the twelve Apostles. It begins with a soup, either borscht with uszka (tortellini), or wild mushroom consommé (grzybowa), followed by herring in different forms.

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.

What do Italians eat at Christmas? ›

In Southern and Central Italy, baked pasta is a must. In Northern Italy, Lasagne Bolognese and filled pasta like manicotti and ravioli are traditional Christmas fare. Next comes the main event, the meat. Roasted veal, baked chicken, sausages or braised beef are common Natale entrées worth celebrating.

What is the number 1 best fish to eat? ›

The top 10 healthy fish to include in your diet:
  1. Salmon. Salmon is versatile and one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acid, which is essential as the body cannot make it on its own so it must be obtained through food. ...
  2. Mackerel. ...
  3. Cod. ...
  4. Trout. ...
  5. Sardines. ...
  6. Crab. ...
  7. Haddock. ...
  8. Tuna.
Mar 27, 2023

What wine is good for the seven fishes dinner? ›

Castellucci Miano Catarratto would be an excellent choice for the feast of the seven fishes. Catarratto is a native grape of Sicily. The name is derived from a cataract waterfall, the bubbly type that tumbles over stony cliffs. When you swirl this wine in your glass, you'll notice that the legs resemble a waterfall.

What is the best fish to eat for taste? ›

Here are the 8 Best Tasting Saltwater Fish to Eat
  1. Salmon. While salmon is primarily a freshwater fish, some species like the Atlantic salmon and the Chinook salmon spend part of their lives in saltwater. ...
  2. Tuna. ...
  3. Mahi-Mahi. ...
  4. Snapper. ...
  5. Grouper. ...
  6. Halibut. ...
  7. Swordfish. ...
  8. Flounder.
Jun 28, 2023

What are the 2 types of seafood in La Vigilia? ›

On the menu you might find such briny delicacies as baccalà (salted cod), cioppino (a classic San Francisco-style seafood stew), anchovies, octopus, shrimp, calamari (squid) and a variety of shellfish (mussels, clams, crab, etc.,). It's a tradition as old as time.

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.

What fish is served at Christmas? ›

Among the different types of fish eaten on Christmas Eve, salted codfish is one of the most popular and versatile. It has always been considered a humble food because of its ease of storage, low cost and the fact that it is filling.

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