Italian seafood recipes are the heart of Christmas Eve for so many families. I wasn’t raised celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but as a kid in Chicago, I heard about it all the time. What a lovely tradition. A whole night built around seafood, wine and the people you love? Sign me up.
Whether you’re rolling up to the table with seven full courses of fish or you just want one great Italian-inspired dish to feed the crowd, I’ve got you covered. I developed and tested every recipe here in my own kitchen. So you can feel confident they'll work in yours, too.
So grab the best seafood you can find. Fresh or frozen both work beautifully, as long as frozen gets a gentle thaw and a thorough dry. Then pour yourself a glass and leave time to sit down and enjoy dinner with all those crazy people you love.
1. Seafood Pasta with White Wine Garlic Sauce
When I want Christmas Eve dinner to feel elegant without turning into a production, this seafood pasta with white wine sauce is where I start. Sweet scallops and shrimp get tossed with al dente pasta in a garlicky white wine sauce that would feel right at home in a little coastal Italian trattoria. It’s on the table in 30 minutes, so you’re out of the kitchen and back with your people long before the second bottle gets opened.
2. Italian Stuffed Calamari
Stuffed calamari makes a showstopping Christmas Eve centerpiece, and it’s one of the most traditional dishes you’ll find at a Feast of the Seven Fishes table. Tender calamari tubes get filled with Parmesan breadcrumbs and fresh herbs, then gently braised in a rich red sauce. Spoon it over creamy polenta or pasta so none of that sauce goes to waste.
3. Italian-Style Baked Black Cod
Black cod (also sold as sablefish) is the fish I reach for when I want a holiday main that feels a little luxurious. It’s rich, silky and nearly impossible to overcook, which takes the pressure off on a busy night. This version bakes with just five simple ingredients, so the buttery fish stays the star of your Christmas Eve table.
4. Shrimp Scampi Fettuccine
This recipe started with a long lunch just outside Rome, and I’ve been chasing that plate ever since. Juicy shrimp, lots of butter and garlic, and silky fettuccine made for twirling, all finished with a shower of crispy seasoned breadcrumbs for crunch. Set out one big platter in the middle of the Christmas Eve table and watch it disappear. (Big Salad and Garlic Bread not optional!)
5. Spiced Monkfish Loins With Broccolini
Monkfish has been called “poor man’s lobster” for good reason. It’s firm, sweet and meaty, and it slices into gorgeous medallions once it comes out of the oven. Here it roasts alongside garlicky broccolini under a spicy pepper relish. Serve it over creamy Parmesan rice for a Christmas Eve main that feels a little unexpected in the best way.
6. Calamari with Feta, Garlic and Chilis
You can put a big plate of calamari on the Christmas Eve table without deep frying! This version takes its cue from a wood-grilled squid I still think about from The Boathouse in Tennessee. Quick-seared calamari gets tossed with lots of garlic, chilis and salty crumbled feta. It’s spicy, savory and gone in minutes, so you might want to make a double batch.
7. Roasted Branzino With Tomato Butter
Branzino is a classic on Italian holiday tables, and this sheet-pan version gets it on yours in under 30 minutes. The skin bakes up crisp while the flesh stays tender and flaky. Then a four-ingredient tomato butter melts over the top and pools in all the right places, so keep some crusty bread nearby.
8. Creamy Tomato Lobster Pasta
If Christmas Eve is your night to splurge, make it this one. Sweet chunks of lobster get folded into a creamy tomato sauce that’s rich enough for the occasion, and the whole thing is ready in about 30 minutes. It’s also a smart use of frozen lobster tails, leftover lobster or even langoustine, so you don’t need a trip to the lobster tank to pull it off.
9. Creamy Shrimp Marsala Pasta
Marsala is usually paired with chicken, but I think it’s even better with sweet, tender shrimp. Earthy mushrooms and a creamy, nutty Marsala wine sauce cling to every strand of pasta, and a generous handful of Parmesan finishes it off. This is the cozy dish in the lineup, the one everyone goes back to for seconds once the dishes have been cleared.
10. Lavash Pizza With Clams And Fresh Mozzarella
Clam pizza is one of my all-time favorite things to eat, and lavash means I never have to make dough to get my fix. The ready-made flatbread bakes up beautifully crispy. Then I pile on fresh mozzarella, tender clams, lots of garlic, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of chili. Cut it into small squares and pass it around as an appetizer while everyone gathers in the kitchen.
11. Broiled Parmesan Pollock
Christmas Eve doesn’t have to mean hours at the stove, and this Parmesan-crusted pollock is my proof. Mild, flaky fillets get a savory, golden crust under the broiler in about 15 minutes, using eight everyday ingredients you probably already have. Pair it with a bright salad, some roasted vegetables and a glass of crisp white wine for an easy holiday dinner that still feels special.
12. Cod Piccata
Piccata isn’t just for chicken. That bright, buttery lemon-caper sauce might be even better spooned over tender pan-seared cod. My trick is a light dusting of Wondra flour, which gives the fish a delicate golden crust and helps the flaky fillets hold together in the pan. Dinner is ready in 25 minutes, with plenty of sauce left over for mopping up.
13. Creamy Shrimp Pesto Pasta
I had a plate a lot like this along the coast in Cinque Terre, the part of Italy where pesto was born. It was so simple, and I’ve never forgotten it. Seared shrimp, a splash of white wine and a spoonful of mascarpone turn basil pesto into a silky, lemony sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti. Store-bought pesto works just fine, and it’s all done in 20 minutes, which is a welcome break on a big cooking day.
14. Mediterranean Pollock Fillets
If you want something lighter to balance out all the pasta on the Christmas Eve table, this is it. I pan-sear mild, wild Alaskan pollock, then build a bright Mediterranean-style salsa with Italian olives right in the same pan, so the fish soaks up every last bit of flavor. It’s ready in 20 minutes, and it’s a great place to use frozen fillets, since wild pollock is almost always frozen at sea.
15. Salmon Marsala
Salmon is rich enough to stand up to a bold sauce, and dry Marsala wine is exactly that. Everything happens in one skillet in about 30 minutes. The salmon sears, earthy mushrooms soak up the pan juices, and the Marsala reduces into a glossy sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything. It’s a good pick for the guest who asks, “Is there anything that isn’t pasta?”
16. Lemon Butter Sablefish
Few sauces are simpler than this one, and few are better. Melted butter, fresh lemon and a spoonful of briny capers are all it takes to dress up rich, flaky sablefish for Christmas Eve. If you can’t find sablefish, any white fish you have on hand works beautifully, whether it’s fresh from the counter or frozen and properly thawed.
17. Lobster Pizza with Garlic Sauce and Pistachios
This lobster pizza is the most fun way I know to end the list. Sweet lobster and creamy torn burrata sit on top of a garlicky scampi-style sauce, all on crisp flatbread, with toasted pistachios scattered over the top for crunch. It’s ready in under 20 minutes. Slice it up as a festive appetizer, or make it the main event and pop something bubbly.
Whether you’re cooking all seven fishes or just one really good one, I hope something from this list makes it onto your table this year. If you make one, leave a comment and tell me which dish won over your crowd. Buon Natale!
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