The Feast of 7 Shellfishes Menu & Celebration

La Vigilia or the Feast of Seven Fishes is an Italian American take on a tradition from Southern Italy in the 1800’s where Christians and Catholics would avoid eating meat (red meat, pork, etc…) as a part of the original practice of a pre-nativity fast before Christmas that also involved some form of vegetarianism.  While the tradition of fasting has mostly faded, the celebratory meal has grown in popularity and evolved into a meal composed of 3, 5, 7, and sometimes more fish dishes.

In continuing with this tradition, we’ve come up with a series of seven options focused on shellfish and includes pastas, sweets, and plant-based recipes that we would use for our own celebration. It’s a fun spin on this holiday meal. 

If you’re not loving one or two of our choices, we share multiple alternatives so you can mix-and-match based on appetizers, sides, dinners, and desserts to customize the menu so it becomes your perfect meal.

You may be asking why we’re including dishes like mac-and-cheese that normally use dairy including half-and-half and cheese.  Each can be substituted with almond milk and plant based alternatives, certain meats like eggs have been used over the years to make the pastas served, and exceptions have been made by Italian American chefs like Giada for good cheeses too.   

Our Top Choices for a Feast of Seven Shellfish Dinner

The most important thing after flavor and presentation is knowing how to make sure everything is ready and on time.  This is the holidays and you want to be with your family, not listening to them celebrate while you’re stuck in the kitchen.  That’s why this feast of the seven shellfish works.

Multiple dishes can be prepped and stored a day or two in advance, some of the courses can be prepped from scratch in under 30 minutes, and everything will look and taste incredible.  The only thing you need to decide is if you want 7 courses served individually, a table with everything at once, or to split it into three rounds with appetizers, dinners and sides, then a dessert.

Pro-tip: Look for ways to use height vs. horizontal space so you can fit all the dishes in the serving or display area neatly. This lets you spend more time enjoying the holiday rather than running plates and dishes to and from the table or buffet.  Try using towers for the appetizers and desserts, as well as raised platters for some of the less messy entrees or sides. 

Dish 1: Shrimp Cocktail

The first dish for our perfect feast is the classic shrimp cocktail.  For buffet and family style dinners it is easy to style the shrimp into large spirals or platters.  

When it is single servings, the shrimp look stunning when they’re styled on the side of a dish as an accent hanging off the side of a raised glass, or along a round ramekin that holds the cocktail sauce.  

The dish takes minutes to prepare vs. hours by buying pre-cooked foods and only needing to styling it.  If you do buy raw shrimp and shellfish, steaming is simple and only requires a rinse, a timer, and then you plate.

Pro-tip: To upgrade the classic shrimp cocktail, substitute or add in stone crab claws or lobster claws.

Dish 2: Mini Clams Casino

There are seven dishes from different shellfishes at this meal, so the standard clams casino is going to be too filling.  That’s why littleneck clams make a perfect substitute for the large ones.  They’re easy to serve individually on plates for a course, or as part of a platter and on a tier if you do a seafood tower.  

One more advantage to the little neck clam is that smaller clams cook faster than large ones, just be cautious of crowding the tray, give the heat room to spread in between so it can encase the shell and cook them through.

Best of all they’re affordable and if you want to stick to a more traditional feast of seven fishes style, you can substitute the bacon for a plant-based variation or replace it with pieces of lobster for that oceanic and salty taste.

These can be prepared a day or two in advance and then stored in the fridge for about a day or the freezer for a bit longer before heating them up (step 7) and serving.  This recipe serves roughly four people for an individual meal, or 6 if you’re doing buffet style as people will be picking from different dishes.

Ingredients:

• 24 littleneck clams
• 4 bacon strips
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 0.5 cups breadcrumbs (plain, dry)
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 teaspoons black pepper
• 4 lemon wedges, for serving

The steps to make this recipe:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook 4 bacon strips until just starting to crisp but still pliable, about 4 minutes.
2. Remove, chop into small pieces, and set aside. Reserve 1 tbsp of the bacon fat in the pan.
3. Add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter to the pan with the reserved bacon fat. Once melted, add the red bell pepper, finely diced, 2 garlic cloves, minced, and 1 shallot, finely diced. Sauté over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. 
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the chopped bacon, 0.5 cups breadcrumbs (plain, dry), 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, and 1/3 teaspoons black pepper until evenly combined into a coarse, spreadable mixture.
5. Shuck 24 littleneck clams, discarding the top shell and loosening the clam meat from the bottom shell. Arrange shells on a baking sheet lined with crumpled foil or rock salt to keep them steady.
6. Spoon a generous teaspoon of the bacon-breadcrumb mixture on top of each clam, pressing gently to adhere.
7. Broil on high, about 6 inches from the heat, until the topping is golden brown and bubbling and the clams are just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.

Dish 3: Lobster and Bruschetta Crostini

The next dish in this shellfish feast is a lobster bruschetta crostini.  The bruschetta is naturally red and green as you can place some fresh chopped herbs on top of the red spread, and when you have lobster meat, it’s simply placing a medallion or a few chopped pieces on top.

To make the crostini simply slice a baguette, baste each side with olive oil, and toast on the stove or in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes at about 450 degrees.  Don’t forget to make extra crostinis as these can be used for dipping into side dishes and getting the last bit of sauce out of a pasta bowl.

Bruschetta is also simple.  Combine chopped tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt to taste.  The recipe below is for four people.

• 2lbs tomatoes chopped
• ¼ to ⅓ (depending on taste) chopped basil
• 1 and ½ minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp of chopped oregano
• 2 tbsp of olive oil (EVOO is fine)
• ½ tsp of salt since the lobster adds salt naturally to the dish

Dish 4: Steamed Whole Lobsters

It doesn’t matter if you’re doing individual servings or have a family style platter, when guests see the whole lobsters in their red glory over a bed of green leafy veggies keeping the Christmas colors intact, they’ll be ready to take a moment to reflect on the work and effort you put into giving them a good meal.

The reason why steamed lobsters are perfect is that they are fast and easy to prepare taking only minutes per pot, they’re affordable compared to seafood steaks like swordfish, and when you’re buying in bulk for the dinner, and they keep the no-meat tradition of the feast of seven fishes alive.  Here’s our guide to steaming live lobsters and you can order live lobsters fresh from us here.

Dish 5: Lobster Mac and Cheese

This recipe is designed to be gluten free to make sure everyone celebrating the holidays at your dinner table has something to eat.  It is decadent, creamy, and has all the flavors kids to adults love.  Don’t be surprised if you see some of the crostinis from the bruschettas being used to scoop the dish because this one will go fast!

Dish 6: Linguini and Clams

You don’t have an Italian meal without a classic, traditional pasta dish.  Linguini and clams is the perfect one as it is fast, easy, and tastes amazing.  To up the seafood goodness, try adding shrimp or sea scallops to the dish.

The following is a four person serving, so adjust up or down as needed.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds littleneck or Manila clams, scrubbed
• 1 pounds linguine
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cups dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 0.5 cups fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

The steps to make this dish are:

1. Purge the clams by soaking them in a bowl of cold salted water for 20 minutes so they release any sand. Drain and rinse well.
2. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the 1 pound linguine. You’ll cook it while the clams are going.
3. Sauté garlic and chili in a wide, deep skillet with a lid and heat 5 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook gently until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the clams and 1 cup of dry white wine to the skillet, raise heat to medium-high, cover, and cook until the clams open.  This takes about 8 minutes and you’ll want to discard any that stay closed.
5. Next cook the linguine in the boiling water until just short of al dente (read the package and stop about a minute or two ahead of the fully cooked time). Make sure to reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
6. Remove the clams with tons and place them in a bowl leaving the broth in the pan. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet so it can soak up the broth along with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, a splash of reserved pasta water, 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoons of cracked black pepper. Toss over medium heat for 2 minutes until glossy and the sauce clings to the noodles.
7. Return the clams to the pan, add 0.5 cups fresh parsley, chopped and the zest and juice of 1 lemon, zested and juiced, and toss once more. Taste and adjust the salt levels until you’re happy. 

Dish 7: Frutti Di Mare

The holidays are about tradition, and that can include blending the old with the new, so why not serve this classic seafood dish complete with fish, shellfish, and the ability to modify it to your heart’s desire.  There’s no right or wrong way to interchange the ingredients as your taste may be different than ours, and that’s a good thing.  Make it something special for your feast of the seven shellfishes meal.

The recipe remains pretty much the same, with the cooking of the fish being the difference depending on your mix.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces linguine or spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 0.8 cups dry white wine
• 1.5 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 0.3 cups fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

The steps to make this dish:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta and cook it until it is just before al dente (about one or two minutes before the package says to stop).  Keep about a cup or two of pasta water set aside for the last step.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook for about a minute until it is fragrant.
3. Pour in 0.8 cups dry white wine and let it simmer for 5 minutes and add in the 1.5 cups canned crushed tomatoes and 1 teaspoons salt, then bring the skillet to a simmer.
4. Now cook and prepare your shellfish and fish, some will be able to cook like shrimp in the mixture, others may need prepared in a separate pot.  Once done, add them to the skillet.
5. Last add the pasta to the seafood skillet and toss it while using the leftover pasta water to loosen the sauce, and finally add a squeeze or two of lemon juice to taste, then fresh parsley for the green to match the red tomatoes, and serve. 

Appetizers

Cooking seven meals means there will be a lot of dishes to clean, don’t add to the mess with complex appetizers that take up space or need a lot of prep work the same day.  Each one below is able to be prepped up to a few days before, is quick to prepare the same day, or allows for quick and easy disposal once the dish is gone. 

• Lobster or crab rangoon are perfect to place on a tray, they’re simple enough to make as guests arrive as you can prep the fresh ones and freeze them a week in advance, then simply bake them as needed. 
• Scallop or lobster bruschetta crostinis are a fun and fast appetizer.  You simply slice the baguette, toast it on one or both sides in the oven with a quick coating of olive oil, and sear the scallops while the crostinis toast.  Now make a simple bruschetta and assemble.  
• Clams casino is the perfect way to present the seafood and shellfish theme from the very start of the meal.  They’re ideal for sit down dinners, and they can be prepped a couple of days in advance and baked as needed making them a high-end and high-value presentation to start the meal.
• Shrimp cocktail is one of the simplest and most loved shellfish appetizers that makes hosting a holiday dinner easy.  Simply steam or buy pre-steamed colossal shrimp, line them up on a plate or tower, add dipping sauces like cocktail or béarnaise, a few lemon wedges, and you’re done.  
• Lobster dip is the crowd pleaser that gets prepped in advanced and heated up in no time.  If you do the crostinis above, it’s easy to slice and toast extras making this a natural complementary appetizer or side dish to maximize time during the feast of seven shellfish.
• Crab stuffed mushrooms are a simple and easy crowd favorite.  They can be topped with sprinkles of lobster corals, festive green leaves like parsley, and do not take up much space on a plate leaving room for other apps.
• Oysters on the half shell are fast and easy.  Simply fill a tray with ice, shuck the oysters, line them up, and add the sauces, lemon wedges, and forks so your guests can access and enjoy.
• Zuppa Di Pesce is one of the most classic soups for this meal, and naturally ties in shellfish with swimming fish.  Best of all it is easy to add local flavors in.  For the southern USA, crawfish can be a fun twist, same with lobster in the north east, olympia oysters in the northwest, and blue crabs along the south and mid-atlantic.

Side Dishes

Everyone loves the sides, sometimes just as much as the entrees themselves.  From rich and gooey mac and cheese, to naturally briny and oceanic potatoes, here are a few that enhance the flavors of the shellfish with creams, acids, and starches to balance the briny and intense flavors.  

• Gluten-free lobster mac and cheese makes sure there is something for everyone at the table.  The recipe above is one created for LobsterAnywhere customers and blog readers. It is our top choice.
• Lobster potatoes au gratin take a bit more time than other sides to prepare, but the advantage here is you can prebake them without lobster a couple days in advance, then simply reheat them to perfection with precooked lobster meat for fresh, perfectly textured, and an absolutely delicious time saving side.
• Shrimp and crab twice baked potatoes are one of the most pleasant surprise dishes you can serve.  Everyone loves a twice baked potato and it is easy to add red and green veggies like bell pepper chunks in for the Christmas spirit.  Mixing chopped shrimp, blue crab, or lump crab meat into the mashed potato filling adds an incredible briny flavor that carries the shellfish theme through the side dish.
• Crab mashed potatoes are the perfect side if you don’t have the time for a twice baked potato.  Use your favorite mashed potato recipe, add in your favorite type of crab meat, and serve.  It can also be prepped days in advance then reheated making it simple, fast, and easy.
• Shrimp and roasted potato salad is a nice balance of shellfish and textures.  The crispy sides of the roasted potato help to balance the tender and bouncy bite of the shrimp, while both have that smooth crunch for a pleasant mouthfeel.  Best of all the dish is easy to prepare.  Roast the potatoes with salt, pepper, and seasonings in the oven, and while they cook you only need to chop the shrimp and combine it with your favorite potato salad recipe.  

Dinners

This is the time you’ll want to be enjoying with your guests, so make sure everything can be ready to come out at once.  Aside from making sure you know where each plate goes on the table if family style, check the cooking times and give about a 5 minute wiggle room in case something cooks slower or you need a bit more time to chop, mince, or dice.  And always have at least one dish that is an easy heat and serve.  

• Boiled or steamed whole lobsters – You’re going to be cooking multiple dishes for a lot of people, something has to be simple, fast, and easy.  This is a holiday, so style and presentation count.  That’s why live lobsters boiled or steamed work perfectly.  They take minutes and only a timer to come out perfect, and you can line them up on a platter as the lobster is its own presentation.
• Seafood and lobster paella is the more complicated and most time consuming option.  While not traditionally Italian, it is rice or orzo based.  We recommend orzo for the feast of seven shellfishes as it cooks faster, pasta will be more inline with the flavors, and there is a bit less room for error as pasta is easier to control than rice.
• Lobster or crab risotto is a perfect dish as the thick and creamy rice combined with the briny oceanic flavors, and rich bites of seafood infused into the broth the rice is cooked in.  If you live in a cold region, this is the meal to warm up your guest’s holiday spirit. 
• Linguini and clams is traditional, it’s classic, delicious, and almost foolproof to make.  Add this to your menu as it can be made in bulk for a self-serve dish family style, or as individual servings where you focus on individual presentation.
• Frutti Di Mare is the blend of traditional fish dishes with shellfish including shrimp, mussels, clams, lobsters, and even calamari.  Nothing screams a feast of fish like this dish when served at your holiday dinner.
• Steamed mussels with garlic is an almost foolproof crowdpleaser.  You only have to saute the flavors of the garlic, herbs, and whatever else you want in oil or butter, add a dry white wine, your mussels, and wait for them to open.  It’s the simple, easy, and always tasty holiday shellfish dish.

Desserts

While we have gotten creative and even dipped lobster medallions in chocolates and served with salted caramel, desserts should be desserts.  Each of these options pairs perfectly with the oceanic flavors of lobster and shrimp, the briny goodness you’re looking for from clams and oysters, as well as the tomato, garlic, and acidic flavors from the dishes above.  

They all match the seasonal color palette of green, red, white, and gold naturally, and for ones that need an extra boost, it is easy to add strawberries and other toppings for some holiday cheer.

If you’re looking for a full list of the best desserts to match with lobster and seafood, here’s our top choices.

• Lobster shell pastries with diplomat cream
• Key lime pie
• Fruit tarts
• Fruitcake biscotti
• Chocolate and espresso crinkle cookies
• Blackberry or blueberry pie with fresh preserves
• Lemon bars
• Lemon panna cotta
• Whoopie pies

The feast of seven shellfishes is a fun version of the new traditional feast of the seven fishes holiday meal.  Use the above to mix and match your favorites, or substitute your own personal shellfish dish to make the meal your own.  And if you need fresh seafood delivered, shop with us, LobsterAnywhere, for fresh Maine lobster, colossal shrimp, and all your shellfish needs.