Zuppa di pesce is a rustic stew brimming with seafood, like clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, and cod that’s simmered in a tomato, white wine, and fennel broth. Zuppa di pesce is perfect for anytime of the year but is especially good on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Zuppa di pesce, which translates to “fish soup”, will always hold a special place in my memory.
Growing up, when my parents would take us to dinner, we’d usually wind up at either at a Chinese or Italian restaurant.
If we were eating Italian, I’d order the shrimp fra diavolo and I could always count on my dad ordering the zuppa di pesce.
Honestly, I think he ordered it as a way to impress my mom (who’s 100% Italian), with his attempt to “speak Italian”.
Luckily for my dad, zuppa di pesce was and is still available at nearly every Italian-American restaurant on Long Island, but you can also make it right in your own home.
It’s great for Christmas Eve alongside your other seafood favorites, like fried calamari, baccala fritters, and shrimp oreganata.
How to make zuppa di pesce
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Begin by slicing 5 cloves of garlic and mincing a 1/4 cup of Italian parsley. Also, dice 2 medium shallots and 1 medium bulb of fennel.
- Scrub the clams and mussels and cut the cod into chunks. Also, cut 3/4 pound of calamari tubes into 1/2″ rings. Any large tentacles can be cut in half. Note: The store I purchased them from was out of tentacles so I’m using mostly tubes.
- Heat a large pot or pan (a 6-quart Dutch oven works great!) to medium-low and saute the shallot and fennel until soft (about 5-7 minutes). After that, add the garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until golden then add a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Next, add 1 cup of dry white wine and turn heat to high. Cook for 90 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Lower the heat to medium and add (2) 28-ounce cans of hand-crushed or blender pulsed plum tomatoes and 10 ounces of clam juice. Bring sauce to a simmer, and wait 10 minutes before adding any seafood.
- The first seafood to add is calamari since it needs to cook for a while to get tender. Note: For small calamari tubes (4-6″) they’ll need about 25-30 minutes of total cooking time. Large can take up to 45-60 minutes to get tender. You can also flash cook calamari right at the end of this dish, but I prefer the long-cooked method to allow the flavors to better come together.
- After 15 minutes of cooking (for small tubes) add in the pieces of cod and cook for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add in the clams and cover. Cook the clams for 5-7 minutes or until they start to open, then add in the shrimp and mussels, cover once more and continue to cook.
- Once the shrimp are fully cooked and the mussels have opened (about 5-7 more minutes), turn off the heat. Give the sauce a taste test and season with salt and pepper if required. Note: Shellfish are inherently salty, so extra salt isn’t often needed.
- Add in the parsley, mix together, and serve in bowls with a drizzle of your best quality extra virgin olive oil and fennel fronds for garnish.
- Zuppa di pesce is excellent with toasted Italian bread that has been rubbed with a garlic clove. Toast plenty of bread to mop up all of the soupy seafood flavor! Note: While this Italian seafood stew is best served right away, it will still be good if kept warm on a sterno rack if serving a crowd for Christmas Eve’s Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Top tips
- The ingredients. Using the best quality ingredients, especially seafood, is recommended. I used cod for this particular recipe, but you can use any firm white fish, such as monkfish, snapper, sole, or halibut. Similarly, with the other seafood ingredients, feel free to mix and match depending on what is freshest. You may want to use lobster instead of shrimp, all mussels and no clams, etc. Your best bet will be to ask your fishmonger which is freshest and go with that.
- Prep the ingredients. If you purchase wild clams, it’s likely that they will need to be purged. Mussels will likely be cleaned and de-bearded, however, you should scrub and look them over before using and remove any beards if needed.
- The cooking process. It’s tempting to want to throw all the seafood in at once to cook, but avoid that as it will leave you with overcooked ingredients. It’s important to begin cooking the seafood requiring the most time first (ie. the squid), followed by the fish, and so on.
- The salt. Since shellfish is inherently salty, you may not need to add a whole lot more, if any. It’s important to first taste the zuppa di pesce, and then add any salt and pepper if needed.
- The garnishes. I love serving zuppa di pesce with fresh parsley, fennel fronds, and of course a toasted slice of garlic-rubbed Italian bread. I also drizzle a healthy dose of extra virgin olive oil on top for good measure. That being said, feel free to omit any of these to suit your taste.
More great seafood recipes
If you love seafood as much as we do, check out these other awesome recipes:
If you’ve enjoyed this Zuppa di Pesce Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
For more never-before-seen videos, including one on how to make Zuppa di Pesce, become a Patreon member today!
Zuppa di Pesce
Zuppa di Pesce is a rustic seafood stew with clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, and cod in a delicious tomato, white wine, and fennel broth. Serve with crusty bread or pasta for a full meal.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60g) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots diced
- 1 medium fennel bulb sliced
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional, or to taste
- 1 cup (240g) dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay
- 2 28-ounce can plum tomatoes blender pulsed or hand crushed
- 1 1/4 cups (320g) clam juice
- 3/4 pound (340g) calamari cleaned, tubes cut into 1/2" rings and large tentacles cut in half
- 3/4 pound (340g) cod or other meaty white fish like monkfish, striped bass, red snapper, etc, cut into chunks
- 12 little neck clams scrubbed, see notes below
- 1 pound (454g) mussels scrubbed and beards removed
- 3/4 pound (340g) extra large shrimp approximately u26 size
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot to medium-low and saute the shallot and fennel in extra virgin olive oil. After they soften a bit (5 minutes) add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more until fragrant.
- Next, add the crushed red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds, then add the wine and turn heat to medium-high. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge the brown bits. Cook the wine for 90 seconds then turn the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and clam juice. Cook the sauce at a moderate simmer for 10 minutes before adding any seafood.
- Add the calamari and cook for 15 minutes to soften. Next, add the fish and cook for 5 more minutes, then add the clams and cover with a lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes longer or until the clams just start to open.
- Finally, add the mussels and shrimp and cover with the lid. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the mussels open (about 5-7 minutes). Any clams or mussels that do not open should be discarded because they are most likely dead.
- Taste test and adjust salt and pepper levels. When satisfied turn the heat off and add the parsley. Serve in bowls with toasted Italian bread that has been rubbed with a garlic clove. Also, drizzle your best extra virgin olive oil onto each plate as well. Enjoy!
Notes
- Go easy on the salt since the shellfish will have a lot of it. Season with salt and pepper to taste right at the end to get the flavors just right.
- Serve lots of bread to mop up the sauce. Toasted bread rubbed with a garlic clove is excellent to serve with zuppa di pesce.
- Other types of clams and fish can be substituted. Use what’s fresh and available.
- Mussels are normally sold cleaned with beards removed, but scrub and look over all of them before using and remove any beards.
- Seafood should be eaten right away but leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be gently reheated over the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.9g | Protein: 76.9g | Fat: 19.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Cholesterol: 478mg | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 1426mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 3.5g | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 17mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!Check us out on Instagram at @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast!
Excellent. Loved that you cook the calamari for up to an hour – everyone else recommends flash cooking it but it becomes wonderfully soft and adds a lot of taste and sweetness when you cook it like you advise. The sauce is so rich tasting. Get out the bread, folks!
So happy you enjoyed this one, Marco!
Do you cut the fish in bite size pieces?
Hi Debbie, yes, cut the fish into chunks.
My first time preparing a complex seafood dish. It was well received by everyone. Take your time follow the directions and you will have a dish you will want to make over and over again. Next time I will serve it over linguini.
Made this and it was absolutely delicious. Great Christmas meal.
I am making this for about 15 people. What are your recommendations for making a larger batch?
Hi Jane. The recipe scales well. If you want to add more of particular ingredient to save money or because of personal preference, feel free to do so.
I’m allergic to shrimp. Can I sub scallops and when would I add them in?
Hi Marla, yes, you can use scallops instead. They usually only take a few minutes to cook, depending on their size, so they should be added at the end. Hope you enjoy.
I was thinking of buying the fresh seafood in advance so it’s not sold out the weekend of Christmas and then freezing it. Do you recommend that? If so, how should i proceed with this recipe? Thanks
Hi Anna, the cod, shrimp and calamari can all be purchased frozen. We’d recommend buying the frozen versions and then defrosting before using. As for the mussels and clams, you’d be better off getting them fresh as close to Christmas as you can.
Absolutely deliicious…followed recipe to a T..👏👏👏thanx James..
Hi Frank, we’re so happy you enjoyed the zuppa di pesce! Thanks for the comment!
can this be frozen?
Hi Desiree, this dish will be much better served fresh. We don’t recommend freezing this one.
Great recipe
Thanks, Joe! So happy you liked the recipe!
How many people does this feed. 8 ??
Hi Joyce, we always include servings in the recipe card. This one has 4 servings if you’re serving this sa a meal. If you’re serving as an appetizer (smaller portions) you’ll likely get more than that.
usually make crab Sauce on Christmas Eve, but crabs are so expensive. I need pasta for 18 people. I would love to change this Christmas up a bit Could you tell me how much of everything I’d need. Looks absolutely delicious.
Hi Celeste, you can use the scale buttons in the recipe card to scale the recipe up. Hope you enjoy.
Love this but my hubby hates tomato, don’t ask!
Can I make this in white sauce. What would I replace the tomatoes with for sauce.
Hi Rosemarie, you can omit the tomatoes although we haven’t tested this particular recipe with a white sauce. You may wish to refer to Jim’s recipe for mussels in white wine sauce as a starting point.
Just returned from Italy and had a fabulous Zuppa de Mare in Venice that was made just like this. So excited to be making this for Christmas Eve this year! Thank you!
Hi Liz, welcome back from your trip and hope you love this one at Christmas!
Very delicious! Followed recipe exactly and it was perfect.
Hi Susan, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi Jim, would you consider this to be more of a broth and your fra Diavolo recipe more of a sauce???? I’m looking to do some clams and mussels and switch up to something tomato based. Would like a thinner sauce/broth be something heavy.
Hi Lynn, yes, I’d consier this to be more of a broth, especially when compared to the fra diavolo. Hope you enjoy this one!
Can you make this white?
Instead of a red sauce?
Hi Paul, yes, you can make it without the tomato if you prefer.
making this today with a margarita and clams casino pizza cant wait till game time
Hope you enjoyed and appreciate the comment!
This is a perfect recipe. Makes enough for 7 or 8 people. Trust the recipe.
Hi Sarah, thanks for the comment and so happy you liked this one!
This looks wonderful. Will make it soon. Thanks for receipe
Thanks for the comment, Barbara!
I’ve made a variation of this for about 20 years and anyone who’s tasted it demands the recipe. Well done, Jim, another incredible recipe. Thank you!
Hi Anthony, thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed this one too!