recipes

A Feast of the Seven Fishes Menu That Won't Take a Week to Cook

Invite everyone over, you're making a five-course feast this Christmas Eve.
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Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini

We had a mission. Create a Feast of the Seven Fishes menu that wouldn't drive a person to the brink of insanity. The Christmas Eve feast is an Italian and Italian-American tradition, celebrated differently in seemingly every family that hosts. But it all comes down to the fish. A lot of fish. Our five-course menu is all about simplicity, so that each recipe lets the seafood shine. Nothing is more than 10 ingredients, you can make a ton of it ahead of time, and bright acidity plays a huge role in light, flavorful dishes that don't fill you up by course two. Riff as you see fit! We made each recipe as straightforward and simple to assemble as possible—and you can watch how to make the seafood pasta in this video. What we'd suggest you make ahead: the clam dip, chile butter for the toasts, the entire squid salad (it will get even better as it sits!), and pistachio-olive sauce for the swordfish. For dessert, make platters of these Italian grandma cookies (especially the chewy pignolis.) Then, invite as many friends and family over as fit around the table—and coffee table, and couch—and start your own tradition, too.

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  • Clam dip recipe
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    1/6

    Clam Dip: 1 Fish

    Look, if you want to cook, shell, and chop a boatload of clams, we support you. But if what you really want is a delicious clam dip that comes together in less than 15 minutes, this recipe is for you.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    2/6

    Anchovy and Sardine Toasts with Chile Butter: 2 Fish

    This is for all the oily fish lovers out there, and the chile butter will help cut through the richness of the fish. If you can’t find Calabrian chiles (we love these Tutto Calabria ones), grate any fresh red chile into the butter. The flavor won’t be as complex, but you’ll keep the heat, which is the perfect counterpoint to the fish.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    5/6

    Seafood Spaghetti with Mussels and Shrimp: 2 Fish

    This simple red sauce really lets the shellfish shine (say that 5 times fast). If you don’t have a large enough pot to toss all the shellfish and pasta together, you can always transfer everything to the largest bowl or platter you have, or go old-school and just pour the sauce over the pasta at the table. Watch how to make it here.

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  • Photo by Marissa A. Ross
    6/6

    Oh, and don't forget the wine!

    You want a versatile Italian white wine with plenty of acid. My ideal bottle for Feast of Seven Fishes is the Collecapretta Vigna Vecchia ($21). This skin-contact Trebbiano Spoletino looks like strewn gold, and smells like salted wet rocks and tropical breezes of white flowers and pineapple. It tastes like salted pineapple and jasmine, burning with green melon. This may sound "sweet," but the fruit notes are all acidic and the wine stays grounded in its terroir (bah-dum-chhhh), with a salty-clay minerality. Super versatile with a medium body, this is a wine that complements everything from clam dip to seafood spaghetti and all the anchovy toasts in between. —Marissa Ross

Former BA senior food editor. When Andy is not developing and testing recipes, he can be found at garage or estate sells and flea markets in search of objects to clutter his apartment. He has an extensive collection of mortar and pestles that he is very proud of. Spirit food:... Read more