A pot of seafood simmering in garlicky tomato broth has a way of making Christmas Eve feel like a special occasion. Tender shrimp, briny clams and mussels, flaky white fish, and calamari fill this zuppa di pesce with layers of flavor. All it needs is a handful of parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and plenty of bread for dipping.
This Italian seafood stew makes a beautiful centerpiece for a Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, but you don’t need to prepare an entire feast to enjoy it. Serve generous bowls with warm crusty white bread for a cozy seafood dinner, or offer smaller portions alongside garlicky linguine in white clam sauce for a holiday meal.
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What Is Zuppa di Pesce?
Zuppa di pesce means “fish soup” in Italian. Preparations vary, but this version combines fish and shellfish in a tomato broth flavored with olive oil, garlic, white wine, and herbs.
It’s a natural fit for an Italian-American Christmas Eve seafood dinner. This version uses five kinds of seafood: shrimp, clams, mussels, cod, and calamari. Serve additional seafood dishes alongside it if you want seven varieties across your holiday menu.
Why You’ll Love This Italian Seafood Stew
- A flavorful broth: Tomato paste, white wine, garlic, and shellfish juices give the soup depth.
- A special dinner in one pot: Cook the seafood in stages using the same Dutch oven.
- Flexible ingredients: Swap the white fish or adjust the seafood combination to suit what’s available.
- A head start for entertaining: Prepare the tomato broth ahead and cook the seafood just before serving.
- Made for dipping: The broth is just as much a part of the meal as the seafood.
Zuppa di Pesce Ingredients
For the Tomato and White Wine Broth
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juices
- 3 cups seafood stock, preferably low-sodium
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Seafood
- 1 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed; weight includes shells
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded; weight includes shells
- 1 pound skinless cod fillets, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound cleaned raw calamari, tubes sliced into ½-inch rings and tentacles left whole
To Finish
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- Lemon wedges
- Crusty bread, for serving
Ingredient notes: Use raw seafood rather than precooked shrimp or calamari. Halibut or haddock can replace the cod. The fennel adds a gentle sweetness; if you prefer, substitute 2 finely diced celery stalks. Taste before salting because seafood stock and shellfish can be quite salty.
How to Make Zuppa di Pesce
1. Prepare the Seafood
Keep the seafood refrigerated while you prepare the broth. Scrub the clams and mussels under cold running water and remove the mussel beards. Discard broken shells and any live clams or mussels that stay open when tapped.
Pat the fish, shrimp, and calamari dry. Keep them in separate bowls so you can add each at the right time.
2. Soften the Vegetables
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion and fennel. Cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Build the Broth
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.
Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 3–4 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, seafood stock, bay leaf, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook the Clams and Mussels
Add the clams, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the mussels, cover again, and cook for approximately 4–7 minutes more, checking frequently.
Use tongs to transfer the shellfish to a clean bowl as they open and their meat becomes firm and opaque. Loosely cover the bowl to keep warm. Give slower-opening clams a little longer if needed, and discard any shellfish that remain closed after cooking.
Removing the cooked shellfish keeps them from becoming tough while the remaining seafood cooks.
5. Add the Fish, Shrimp, and Calamari
Return the broth to a gentle simmer. Nestle in the cod and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the calamari and continue simmering for approximately 2–3 minutes, just until all the seafood is cooked.
Treat these times as a guide: thickness and temperature affect cooking time. The fish should reach 145°F in its thickest part and separate easily with a fork. Shrimp and calamari should be firm and opaque; check for 145°F where practical.
Avoid vigorous stirring, which can break apart the fish.
6. Finish and Serve
Return the cooked clams and mussels, along with any collected juices, to the pot. Gently spoon broth over them and heat briefly until hot.
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, then taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon.
Divide the seafood among warm bowls and ladle the broth over the top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, an empty bowl for shells, and thick slices of homemade crusty bread.
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Tips for Tender Seafood and Flavorful Broth
Simmer the broth before adding seafood. The tomato base needs time to develop; the seafood needs much less.
Add seafood in stages. Clams, fish, shrimp, and calamari do not cook at the same speed. Cooking everything together from the start can leave some pieces overdone.
Use a gentle simmer. A hard boil can break up the fish and toughen the shrimp.
Watch the calamari closely. This recipe uses a brief cooking method. Avoid leaving the finished stew simmering on the stove.
Adjust the consistency. If the broth becomes too thick, add a splash of seafood stock or water. It should be easy to spoon and soak up with bread.
What to Serve With Zuppa di Pesce
Keep the accompaniments simple so the seafood remains the focus.
- Crusty white bread: Toast thick slices and rub them lightly with a cut garlic clove.
- A simple green salad: Arugula or mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette balances the rich broth.
- Linguine or spaghetti: Cook separately and ladle the stew over a small portion.
- Linguine in white clam sauce: Serve as a separate small pasta course when building a larger Christmas Eve seafood menu.
For another seafood dinner to try after the holidays, save this copycat Carrabba’s Pasta Weesie.
Zuppa di Pesce for Christmas Eve | Feast of Seven Fishes Recipe
This easy zuppa di pesce combines shrimp, clams, mussels, cod, and calamari in a garlicky tomato and white wine broth. Serve this Italian seafood stew with crusty bread for Christmas Eve or as part of your Feast of the Seven Fishes menu.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: DINNER | SOUP
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: Feast of Seven Fishes, ITALIAN | AMERICAN
- Diet: Pescatarian
Ingredients
For the broth:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juices
- 3 cups low-sodium seafood stock
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the seafood:
- 1 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed, weighed with shells
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded, weighed with shells
- 1 pound skinless cod, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound cleaned raw calamari, tubes cut into ½-inch rings and tentacles left whole
For finishing and serving:
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- Lemon wedges
- Crusty bread, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the seafood. Scrub the clams and mussels under cold running water and remove the mussel beards. Discard cracked or broken shells and any live shellfish that remain open when tapped. Pat the cod, shrimp, and calamari dry. Keep the seafood refrigerated in separate bowls until needed.
- Cook the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Build the broth. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, seafood stock, bay leaf, oregano, and black pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Cook the shellfish. Add the clams, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the mussels, cover again, and simmer for approximately 4–7 minutes more, checking frequently. Transfer shellfish to a clean bowl as they open and their meat becomes firm and opaque. Cover loosely to keep warm. Allow slower-opening clams additional time as needed; discard any shells that remain closed after cooking.
- Cook the remaining seafood. Return the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the cod and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the calamari and simmer for approximately 2–3 minutes more, until the seafood is cooked through. Fish should reach 145°F and flake easily; shrimp and calamari should be firm and opaque. Check for 145°F where practical. Cooking time varies with seafood size and temperature. Avoid vigorous stirring.
- Finish the stew. Return the clams, mussels, and any collected juices to the pot. Gently spoon broth over the seafood and heat briefly until hot. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Serve. Divide the seafood among warm bowls and ladle the broth over it. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Make ahead: Prepare the broth through step 3 up to 2 days ahead. Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate. Bring back to a simmer before adding the seafood.
- Wine substitute: Replace the wine with 1 cup additional seafood stock and adjust the lemon juice to taste before serving.
- Fish substitutions: Use halibut or haddock in place of cod.
- Fennel substitute: Use 2 finely diced celery stalks.
- Frozen seafood: Thaw raw shrimp, fish, and calamari in the refrigerator according to package instructions, then pat dry. Follow package cooking directions for frozen clams and mussels, which may already be cooked.
- Salt: Season at the end because the stock and shellfish contribute salt.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Reheat to 165°F. Seafood is most tender when freshly cooked.
- Seven Fishes menu: This recipe contains five seafood varieties. Serve additional seafood dishes alongside it if you want seven varieties across your meal.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make ahead: Prepare the broth through step 3 up to 2 days ahead. Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate. Bring it back to a simmer before continuing with the seafood.
Refrigerate leftovers: Transfer to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use within 3 days.
Reheat: Warm only the portion you need, covered, until it reaches 165°F. The seafood may become firmer when reheated, so this dish is best freshly cooked. Food Safety and Inspection Service
Freeze: Freeze the tomato broth without seafood for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and add freshly cooked seafood when finishing the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen seafood?
Yes. Frozen raw shrimp, cod, and calamari work well when fully thawed in the refrigerator and patted dry. Follow package thawing directions, especially for vacuum-packed fish.
Frozen clams and mussels may be raw or precooked, so follow their package instructions rather than treating them exactly like live shellfish.
Can I make zuppa di pesce without wine?
Yes. Replace the wine with 1 cup additional seafood stock. Add lemon juice to taste at the end to brighten the broth.
Do I need all five kinds of seafood?
No. For a simpler version, use shrimp, cod, and mussels. Replace omitted seafood with a similar amount of the seafood you prefer, accounting for shell weight, and adjust cooking times accordingly.
Does this count as all seven fishes?
This version contains five seafood varieties. Serve other seafood dishes alongside it if you want a menu with seven varieties. You do not need to put seven types into this one pot.
Is zuppa di pesce the same as cioppino?
They are related seafood stews, but the names are not interchangeable. Zuppa di pesce refers to Italian fish soup, with regional variations; cioppino is associated with San Francisco’s Italian-American fishing community.
Can I make it spicy?
Yes. Increase the red pepper flakes to ½ teaspoon for more heat, then offer extra at the table. Start modestly so the spice does not overwhelm the seafood.
A Christmas Eve Dinner Worth Gathering Around
This zuppa di pesce brings plenty of holiday atmosphere without needing an elaborate presentation. Set the pot on a trivet, pass the bread, and let everyone settle in over bowls of seafood and fragrant tomato broth.
Whether it’s part of your Feast of the Seven Fishes or the main event for a smaller Christmas Eve dinner, it’s a welcoming way to make seafood the center of the celebration. Add homemade bread and a simple salad, and dinner is ready to share.
