Celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes at Pazzo!

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian American holiday tradition where families gather to enjoy a seafood-centric meal that can stretch for hours, usually on Christmas Eve. The ritual is based on the Catholic church’s tradition of fasting from meat on the days before major feast days, like Christmas.

Culinary Concepts chef Abel Tirado follows that tradition, taking advantage of the freshest seafood available in Naples, but his definition of “fishes” stretches to include shellfish. Chef Abel plans to take the traditional family meal to a new level with a special Feast of the Seven Fishes available for a limited time only at Pazzo!, the iconic Italian restaurant on 5^th Avenue South in Naples.

The menu will be available for dinner December 19-24 and includes tiramisu for dessert. Here are Pazzo!’s Feast of the Seven Fishes menu and suggested wine pairings:

• White truffle tuna atop Tuscan white beans, citrus, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil with micro greens dressed with a white truffle balsamic paired with Prosecco, The White Knight, Italy, NV.

• Calamari misto: a mixture of fried calamari, shrimp and sea bass, with cherry peppers in marinara sauce paired with Roseri, Ca Maiol Chiaretto Valtenesi, Italy 2018.

• Tuscan bean soup from fresh quahog clam stock with fresh clams, escarole, garlic and Roma tomatoes paired with Italian Blend, Alta Luna, Vignetti Delle Dolomiti, Italy 2018.

• Scampi alla scampi combines giant shrimp, garlic, white wine, and Meyer lemon risotto paired with Vermentino, Argiolas, Costamolino, Sardegna, Italy 2018.

• Seared salmon with roasted fennel, pollen dusted butternut squash, rigatoni, kale, and fresh diced tomatoes in a brown sugar butter sauce atop a micro greens salad tossed in a white balsamic dressing paired with Pinot Nero, Sartori, Venezie, Italy 2017.

• Tagliatelle pisane: a classic seafood mix of clams, mussels, calamari, fresh tomatoes, Tabasco, and red pepper flakes tossed with tagliatelle pasta with fresh basil and Trebbiano (Italian white wine) sauce paired with Chianti Classico, Coltibuono, Catamura,  Sicily, Italy 2017.

• Branzino: sauteed Mediterranean sea bass, atop olive oil whipped potatoes, served with fresh Maine lobster and shrimp topped with sambucca scampi sauce and sauteed fava beans, garnished with fresh basil oil, fennel top and fresh oregano paired with Super Tuscan, Belguardo, Serrata, Italy 2014.

Guests are advised to allow two- and one-half hours to complete the overall intimate dining experience. The entire table is required to participate in the feast and there are no substitutions. The dinner celebration is priced at $145 per person. Wine pairings were selected by Pazzo!’s bar manager Peggy Feldon, an expert in Italian wines, and can be added for an extra $95.