Italian Seafood Salad Recipe

This Italian seafood salad recipe is filled with seven different types of seafood and flavored simply. The best addition to your Italian Christmas eve dinner and for the feast of seven fishes.

This post was originally published in December 2019 and has been updated for content.

This Italian seafood salad recipe is inspired by my husband's grandmother, who makes the most amazing seafood salad every year for Christmas eve. We celebrate feast of the seven fishes, which is an Italian-American celebration that includes no meat, pasta and lots of seafood!

My Italian seafood salad is made with seven different types of fresh seafood mixed with a lemon olive oil garlic sauce with olives and fresh herbs. It goes perfectly as a first course before pasta dishes for the holiday season.

Serve this best seafood salad with slow cooker minestrone soup, authentic Italian manicotti, Italian braided pesto bread or creamy mushroom risotto.

🐟 Ingredient notes

• Seafood - This Italian seafood salad recipe includes a lobster, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, halibut and calamari that are poached and combined with a light, flavorful dressing. This assortment can be customized to your preference and availability. Other options that would be great in this salad would be crab, octopus, other white fish varieties or even oysters.
• Olives - You can use either green or black olives cured in oil or any olives that are your favorite. Our favorite are green Sicilian castelvetrano olives or kalamata olives.

📋 Substitutions and variations

• Spicy - Zest this seafood salad up even more by doubling the crushed red pepper flakes.
• Wine - If you prefer not to cook with wine, it can be substituted with ¼ cup of lemon juice instead.

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, soak the mussels and clams in water to clean out any leftover sand. Discard any that have cracked or open shells that don't close when you tap on them.

Next, heat the water, wine, old bay seasoning and salt on the stovetop over medium heat. Once the liquid comes to a low boil, you will cook the seafood in it, one at a time.

The lobster and shrimp will both take about 3-5 minutes and the shells should be orange colored, slightly curled and the meat should be opaque. Scallops will take about 2-3 minutes and should be opaque and slightly firm to the touch.

Next, cook the halibut, calamari, clams and finally the mussels. The halibut will take about 3-5 minutes and should be opaque and slightly flaky. The calamari will only take 1-2 minutes and be opaque and slightly firm to the touch.

Clams and mussels will be done when the shells completely open. Any that do not open during cooking should be discarded. Once all of the seafood is cooked, move it to the refrigerator to chill while you put together the dressing.

To make the dressing, sauté the chopped garlic cloves, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper in the olive oil. Add some of the seafood cooking liquid along with the garlic powder, lemon juice and lemon zest and set the mixture aside to cool in a small bowl.

Once the seafood is cool, remove the meat out of the shells from the lobster and shrimp and chop them into pieces. Chop the halibut and scallops into similar sized pieces and slice the calamari tubes. Remove the meat from the clams and mussels and combine everything in a large bowl.

Mix all of the chopped chilled seafood with the olives, fresh parsley and then toss with the dressing. Chill the salad for a minimum of two hours or overnight for best results. The salad can be garnished with fresh lemon wedges if you like.

⭐ Expert tips

• Make sure all of the seafood is fresh and doesn't have an overly fishy smell. Mussels and clams should not have any cracked shells and they should close tightly when gently tapped on. Any that are broken, cracked or remain open are dead and should be discarded.
• Use a slotted spoon to gently move them from in and out of the liquid to make sure the seafood doesn't fall apart.
• Make sure the poaching liquid is heated to just a low boil. This will make sure the seafood cooks gently.
• The seafood will take anywhere from 1-5 minutes for each item to cook in the liquid, so be careful to not over cook. Look for the meat to be opaque and slightly firm. Clams and mussels will fully open when they are done.
• Make sure both the salad and the dressing are cool before mixing them together to make sure they properly infuse and do not overcook.
• Let the salad chill overnight if you can to give the flavors time to really meld together!

⏲️ Make ahead and storage suggestions

This Italian seafood salad is best when made ahead. It can be prepared and then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

🍝 More italian food

If you loved this recipe for Italian seafood salad for Christmas eve, then make sure to check out these other italian recipe that I know you will love too!

• Struffoli
• Classic Italian Lasagna
• Italian Beef Braciole
• Polenta Cakes

📖 Recipe

Italian Seafood Salad Recipe

Amanda

This Italian seafood salad recipe is filled with seven different types of seafood and flavored simply. The best addition to your Italian Christmas eve dinner and for the feast of seven fishes.

5 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Chilling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings 10 servings

Calories 205 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 quarts water
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 Tablespoon old bay seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 5-6 ounce raw lobster tail
• 1 pound raw 25/30 shrimp shell-on, deveined
• ½ pound raw sea scallops
• 6-8 ounce raw halibut filet
• 1 pound raw calamari tubes and tentacles
• 1 pound raw mussels
• 1 pound raw clams
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large lemon zest and juice only
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 ½ cups assorted pitted olives cured in oil

Instructions

 

• Combine water, wine, old bay seasoning, and salt in a large pot and bring the liquid to a low boil over medium heat on the stovetop.
• While the liquid is coming to a boil, cover the mussels and clams in a large bowl with cool water. Let them sit for 2 minutes to clean out any leftover sand. Drain and set aside.
• Poach the seafood, one at a time in the liquid, starting with the lobster. It will take approximately 3-5 minutes and the meat should be opaque, the shell should be an orange red color and the tail will be slightly curled. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Next, add the shrimp and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes until the meat is opaque, the shell is pink and shrimp are slightly curled. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• After the shrimp, cook the scallops for approximately 2-3 minutes until they are opaque and slightly firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Next, cook the calamari for approximately 1-2 minutes until they are opaque and slightly firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• After the calamari, cook the halibut filet for approximately 3-5 minutes until it is opaque and flaky. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Next, cook the clams for approximately 2-3 minutes until they open, discarding any that do not open during cooking. Remove opened clams with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Lastly, cook the mussels for approximately 2-3 minutes until they open, discarding any that do not open during cooking. Remove opened mussels with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid for the dressing and discard the rest. Place all of the cooked seafood in the refrigerator to chill while the dressing is made.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet or pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes.
• Add in the reserved cooking liquid, garlic powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice and remove from the heat and allow to cool while the seafood is prepared.
• Remove the meat from the shells of the lobster and shrimp and chop the meat into large pieces. Chop the scallops and halibut into similar sized pieces and slice the calamari tubes. Remove the meat from the clams and mussels and combine all of the prepared seafood in a large bowl. 
• Add in the fresh parsley, olives, and prepared dressing and toss to combine everything together.
• Chill the salad in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight for best results.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Marjorie Scarlati and adapted from Ina Garten's Italian Seafood Salad.

 

• Make sure all of the seafood is fresh and doesn't have an overly fishy smell. Mussels and clams should not have any cracked shells and they should close tightly when gently tapped on. Any that are broken, cracked or remain open are dead and should be discarded.
• Make sure the cooking liquid is heated to just a low boil. This will make sure the seafood cooks gently and doesn't fall apart.
• The seafood will take anywhere from 1-5 minutes for each item to cook in the liquid, so be careful to not over cook. Look for the meat to be opaque and slightly firm. Clams and mussels will fully open when they are done.
• Make sure that both the salad and the dressing are cooled before mixing them together to make sure they properly infuse and do not overcook.
• Let the salad chill overnight to give the flavors time to really meld together!

 

Substitutions and Variations

• Seafood - The combination of seafood can be adjusted to what is available or preferred. Oysters, other white fish varieties, crab or octopus would be other great additions.
• Spicy - Zest this seafood salad up even more by doubling the crushed red pepper flakes.
• Wine - Wine can be substituted with ¼ cup of lemon juice, if needed.

 

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

This Italian seafood salad is best when made ahead. It can be prepared and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 24gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 190mgSodium: 1532mgPotassium: 417mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 374IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2mg

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