A Feast of Seven Fishes

Celebrated across the U.S. by Italian-American families, the Feast of Seven Fishes commemorates the wait for the midnight birth of Jesus, or the Vigilia di Natale. In his Issue #143 story Feast of the Seven Fishes, Greg Ferro remembers Christmas Eve at his grandmother's apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn: "The menu varied, but we had our favorites, like baccala, or salt cod, salad, pasta con le sarde served Sicilian-style with whole sardines, and calamari with peas and potatoes, the squid only cooked for a minute or two so it stayed tender. Usually there was stuffed calamari marinara and sole smothered with olives; and there was always a fish served whole, like branzino with fennel and onions. In prosperous years shrimp scampi with capellini and lobster fra diavolo graced the table." This year, start your own family tradition with these delicious Italian-inflected seafood recipes.

The Menu

More About This Menu

Inspiration for this menu comes from Greg Ferro's story about Christmas Eve with his Italian-American family in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, "The Feast of the Seven Fishes."
For antipasti ideas, see Dana Bowen's article "The Art of Antipasti."
The Sautéed Sole, topped with a tapenade-like olive paste, tastes delicious paired with Roasted Potatoes.
A proper Italian-American holiday feast should feature plenty of desserts, from Tiramisu to Italian-American Christmas Cookies, and more.
See our Gallery of Italian-American Recipes for more ideas.