Bring everyone together on Christmas Eve in the traditional Southern Italian style—with a feast of seafood done seven different ways. Buon Natale!
Try this recipe: Swordfish a la Siciliana
La Viglia di Natale
On December 24, Italian families all over the world gather together for La Viglia di Natale—the Christmas vigil—where fish is on the menu instead of meat. Also called The Feast of the Seven Fishes, the ritual of La Viglia has been handed down from generation to generation over the centuries.
Why seven fishes? The number seven is thought to stand for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. With its roots in religious observance, La Viglia customarily ends by attending midnight mass.
Seven Fishes, Seven Dishes
La Viglia's favored dishes may vary from family to family, but you will likely find an array of seafood that includes the freshest catch of the day as well as clams, oysters, mussels, squid, shrimp, and lobster.
Chef John's Spaghetti al Tonno
You can make this quick and easy pasta dish with pantry ingredients you probably have on hand. Watch the video to see how it comes together.
You might also like:
- Fish Fillets Italiano
- Swordfish Calabrian Style
- Anchovy Linguine
- Pasta Con Sarde (Pasta with Sardines)
Clams, Oysters, and Mussels
Be sure to have plenty of crusty bread on hand to sop up the flavorful clam broth.
Clams Italiano
This easy recipe takes only 30 minutes from start to finish.
You might also like:
Shrimp, Calamari, and Lobster
Simple Garlic Shrimp
You can control the heat on this super-easy shrimp dish by dialing back the red pepper flakes, if you wish.
You might also like:
- Grilled Shrimp Scampi
- Grammy's Calamari Salad
- Brodetto (Fish Stew) Ancona-Style
- Calamari in Red Wine and Tomato Sauce
- Ivan's Mega Frutti Di Mare
Vegetables
Broccoli Rabe with Roasted Peppers
Vegetables such as broccoli rabe and kale often round out the meal.
You might also like:
Dessert
Tiramisu II
Dessert can be anything from a simple cake to a staggering display of sweets. To get guaranteed oohs and aahs, bring a traditional tiramisu to the table.
You might also like:
You might also like
Get tips for buying and cooking shellfish and fresh fish.
Catch all our seafood recipes.
Discover authentic Italian recipes.
Enjoy the 12 cakes of Christmas. Which one will you make first?