Longtime readers of Giadzy are no stranger to the Feast Of The Seven Fishes - aka, the seafood-abundant meal that gets eaten on Christmas Eve per Italian tradition.
Like many Italian traditions, this particular meal ranges from region to region and family to family - but make no mistake that every family will have their own rules that can't be defied for the special meal! As a whole, there are no hard rules that need to be adhered to for a proper Feast Of The Seven Fishes: there's no particular fish thatmustbe cooked, and there's no specific dish or preparation either. Everyone has their own version!
The origins of this classic feast come from Roman Catholics, who would traditionally fast from meat before communion. Fish, however, was exempt from this fasting - and since many Roman Catholics would attend Midnight Mass on Christmas, they would feast on the protein that was both abundant, and allowed: seafood! The tradition has carried through to the modern day, and while the type of meal varies greatly from family to family, one thing can generally be agreed on in Italian tradition: eat seafood on Christmas Eve.
The name "feast of the seven fishes" might seem daunting, but you don't really need to make seven dishes - nor do you need to eat sevendifferentvarieties of seafood. Giada has a simple rule to keep things easy for the beloved dinner: one dish in the oven, one on the stovetop, and one prepped ahead. You can check out Giada's past menus below - but this simplified menu is her go-to for this year (and, no - noteverydish has seafood!)
Giada's Easy Feast Of The Seven Fishes Dinner
Appetizer - Baked Caprese Crostini
There's nothing more classically Italian than the simple flavors of mozzarella, tomato and basil - the Caprese! The quintessential salad gets a new form in this recipe - crispy crostini get topped with a slice of tomato and mozzarella, and it gets warmed up and gooey in the oven. Topped with basil, olive oil and freshly cracked pepper, it's not just a delightfully tasty appetizer - but it sure is pretty, too.
Salad - Insalata Di Rinforzo
This salad might not ring much of a bell in the 'states, but it's a popular fixture on holiday tables in Naples! Comprised of cooked cauliflower complemented by flavorful additions like giardiniera, capers, roasted peppers and olives, it's a bright and zingy way to kick off the meal. This is one of those recipes that seems to vary a lot from family to family, but this is the version that Giada's family knows and loves. PS - you'resupposedto refrigerate it overnight, so it's a great make-ahead dish. (here's your prepped-ahead dish!)
Soup - Shrimp And Sausage Cioppino
Here's your "one on the stovetop" recipe! This simplified Cioppino is so easy to whip up, and it's got tons of flavor. While this calls for shrimp as the only seafood, you can really make it your own. You could cut back on some of the shrimp and add in lobster, crab, mussels, clams, cod, scallops - it's up to you! Make sure you have lots of crusty sourdough bread on hand to soak up the flavorful soup broth, too.
Pasta - Creamy Crab Cannelloni
And lastly, here's Giada's pick this year for an "in the oven" recipe. This creamy baked pasta dish stars crab, which gets baked to cheesy, decadent perfection in these delicious cannelloni (hint: manicotti works great, too!). This is one of those fantastic dishes that's really easy to put together and set-and-forget in the oven, but feels so worthy of a special occasion. Pure decadence - it is Christmas Eve after all, isn't it?
Dessert - Chocolate Cookie Crumb Cake
This cake couldn't be easier to make - and instead of pulling out the flour, you use leftover cookies and breadcrumbs to make it! Italians are known for never being wasteful and for always repurposing leftovers, so this is really in line with tradition. The cake is just sweet enough and not overwhelmingly heavy, as all of the sugar comes from the cookies you use - so if you use a sweet amaretti cookie, it'll turn out a bit sweeter than it would with almond biscotti, for example! It has a pleasing, more dense-type texture that's reminiscent of a tea cake. It's perfect with a shot of after-dinner espresso!
FAQs
As it turns out, a bit of lemon, a handful of spaghetti, a generous shaving of parmesan, with a touch of Sicily was all it took, for her lemon spaghetti — first featured in an episode of "Everyday Italian" — to quickly become perhaps the most famous recipe in her long and successful career.
What is the traditional menu for the feast of the seven fishes? ›
What is Feast of the Seven Fishes?
- FIRST COURSE: SMALL BITES, SHRIMP 3 WAYS.
- SECOND COURSE: CRAB (AND LOBSTER IF YOU PLEASE)
- THIRD COURSE: CLAMS AND OYSTERS.
- FOURTH COURSE: CALAMARI.
- FIFTH COURSE: SOUP.
- SIXTH COURSE: PASTA.
- SEVENTH COURSE: FISH!
As it turns out, a bit of lemon, a handful of spaghetti, a generous shaving of parmesan, with a touch of Sicily was all it took, for her lemon spaghetti — first featured in an episode of "Everyday Italian" — to quickly become perhaps the most famous recipe in her long and successful career.
Is the feast of seven fishes a Catholic thing? ›
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.
What is the traditional Italian Christmas fish dinner? ›
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.
What are the rules for the seven fishes? ›
It all stems from the Roman Catholic Church where it's customary to eat fish (and abstain from meat) on the eve of feast days. But here's the thing, you don't need to be Italian to make your own Feast of the Seven Fishes. Anyone can participate in the tradition by adding seafood to their Christmas Eve dinner menu.
How to host a Feast of the Seven Fishes? ›
The key to committing to cook seven different kinds of seafood is spreading out the dishes throughout the meal; instead of preparing seven whole fish for what would be an excessively large main course spread, offer perhaps three small appetizers, a soup, pasta, then entrée plus a side salad, each with seafood as the ...
Why did Giada change her name? ›
After her parents' divorce, Giada and her siblings moved to Southern California, where they took their mother's surname.
Is Giada De Laurentiis from a wealthy family? ›
Despite coming from a very successful family – her grandfather Dino De Laurentiis was a very successful famous movie producer who made over 600 movies and her grandmother was the popular Italian movie star Silvana Mangano – Giada was the first person in her family to attend college.
What happened to Giada? ›
Giada De Laurentiis announced her departure from The Food Network in February after a 21-year career with the channel. Now, the celeb chef is pivoting off-screen with her latest venture: a line of pasta called Giadzy Pasta.
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.
Why do Catholics eat fish on Friday and not meat? ›
In recognition of Friday as the day of the crucifixion, canon law calls for abstinence from eating meat on all Fridays of the year (see Canon 1251).
What day of the week do Catholics eat fish? ›
Fish and other designated seafood are traditionally eaten by Catholics on Fridays due to the prohibition on eating meat on that day.
What do they drink on Christmas in Italy? ›
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.
What do Italians eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? ›
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 do Italians typically eat for breakfast? ›
A healthy Italian breakfast might consist of some bread, butter, jam, some yogurt, and fruit. Italians also eat muesli and cereal in the mornings with yogurt or milk. A combination of dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, and yogurt is a healthy and popular option.
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 is a traditional Italian Christmas dinner menu? ›
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 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.
Why do Italians eat seven fishes on Christmas Eve? ›
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American tradition to ring in Christmas Eve, when Roman Catholics celebrate the midnight birth of Jesus, known in Italian as “La Viglia.” Fish is a traditional ingredient in the Christmas Eve dinner because custom calls for the eschewing of red meat leading up to the holiday.
