In Italy, you will find that there are many different Christmas traditions.
Once of these takes place on the evening of December 24th, Christmas Eve, and tradition has it that Italian families gather together for a big dinner that doesn’t contain meat.
Among Italian-Americans, this tradition further developed into the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
On Christmas Eve, Italian-American families prepare a seven-course dinner, not only without meat, but with fish in each course.

Academia Barilla celebrates this tradition with a special Seven Fishes menu:  clams, mussels, salted cod and more!

Appetizer

Ligurian Mussel Soup
This flavorful Italian dish can be found along the entire coast of the peninsula. It is light, but satisfying.

Trieste Style Spider Crab
The spider crab (granseola in Italian) is typically found along the Italian coasts. The way it is prepared in Trieste is perfect if you are looking for a simple, but flavorful treat.

Pasta

Spaghetti with clams
This classic Italian recipe captures the flavor of the Mediterranean.

Spaghetti with red radicchio and prawn tartare
Radicchio and prawns are a perfect pair, bringing an intense and interesting flavor to this Italian pasta dish.

Second Courses

Octopus salad with citrus fruits and fennel
An original combination with strong, captivating flavors.

Codfish Vicenza-style
A delicious fish recipe from Veneto, typical of the beautiful city of Vicenza: learn how to prepare it from our chefs, step by step.

Stuffed cuttlefish with Pecorino cheese
In this recipe, the cuttlefish are mixed with traditional Mediterranean ingredients like capers, olives and pecorino, giving life to a flavorful dish which captures the flavors of ancient Rome

Side Dish

Christmas Salad
Direct from Sicily, this fun and festive salad will bring a touch of color to your Christmas table.

Dessert

Lemon Sorbet
Satisfying and refreshing, lemon sorbet can be eaten as a digestive at the end of a meal or as a daytime pick me-up.