Giada’s 7 Fishes Menu

Chef, best-selling cookbook author, and Emmy Award-winning TV show host Giada De Laurentiis was born in Rome and learned the secrets to Italian cooking from her grandfather (or, as Giada says, “my Nonno”). So it’s no surprise that come Christmas, she’s bringing some cherished Italian holiday traditions stateside. This year, she’ll be serving up an Italian Christmas Eve at her restaurant, Giada, in Las Vegas (details here) but as usual, she doesn’t keep her cooking secrets to herself.

“One of the most old-school Italian Christmas traditions is the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a Christmas Eve celebration that incorporates seven different kinds of seafood into one massive meal,” says Giada. “If you’ve never made one, it can seem intimidating, but I have an easy rule of thumb to simplify the cooking process. One baked (for me, that’s a beautiful side of salmon to roast in the oven), one on the stovetop (a classic spaghetti alla vongole), and one already made (a smoked fish crostini).”

If you can’t make it to Vegas, here are 3 ways to incorporate the tradition at home, whether you’re serving them all together or solo:

Smoked Fish Crostini   Rather than make every fish dish from scratch, Giada suggests turning to prepared smoked fish for an elegant but easy addition to your Christmas Eve menu. Here, toasted crostini is topped with flaked white fish, dill and crème fraiche.

Spaghetti with Clams   Spaghetti alla vongole (i.e. clams) is about as classic as they come, which makes it a great choice for a holiday menu. It’s comforting and familiar, but not something most people make for themselves often. Bonus: it’s easy to prepare.

Slow Roasted Salmon   Salmon is always a crowd-pleaser, but when done wrong it can end up dry. Giada solves that problem by slow roasting a large salmon filet of even thickness so it retains its moisture and develops great flavor.

Head here to get all your supplies and more inspiration for your holiday feast.