Italian Frittata with slices of fresh greens, food

The Frugal Frittata

Its been a hectic day. The familys hungry, the fridge offers little more than eggs and leftovers and youre fresh out of answers for the question everyones asking: Whats for dinner? The solution may be found in a single word: Frittata.

Italian Frittata with slices of fresh greens, food

A frittata is like an omelet but without the fancy pan work. Its similar to a quiche without the troublesome crust, additional dairy products and long baking time. For a frittata you simply prepare the filling (leftovers are ideal), pour the eggs on top and cook until set. While an omelet is soft, delicate and slightly runny, a frittata is tender but firm.

An omelet is prepared at a higher temperature with critical timing. A frittata is cooked slowly over low heat and not folded over. Aside from simplicity, frittatas have another advantage: Theyre delicious hot, cold or at room temperature, so you dont have to sweat timing as you do with most omelets, which must be served warm.

Making the perfect frittata is as simple as learning these easy tricks.

Pan

Nonstick frying pans with oven-proof handles make the best frittatas. Conventional skillets require so much oil to prevent sticking that frittatas cooked in them are greasy. You need a 10-inch pan for a six-egg frittata (serves 4) or a 12-inch skillet for eight-egg frittatas to serve 6.

Filling

Potatoes, onions, mushrooms, vegetables, ham, pancetta, cheese and chicken (just about anything) are great candidates to fill a frittata. Ideally the filling should just cover the bottom of the pan. Begin by sautéing the filling items in a small amount of oil in the same pan you will prepare the frittata.

Eggs

Beat eggs (6 or 8 depending on the skillet size) lightly and pour them over the filling. Once the bottom is firm, use a thin plastic spatula to gently lift the frittata edge so that the uncooked eggs run underneath. Continue cooking about 40 seconds until egg on top is no longer runny. Transfer skillet to 350F oven; bake until frittata top is set and dry to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes.

NOTE: If you do not have a pan with an oven-proof handle, slide the frittata onto a plate and then flip it over and back into the skillet to continue cooking for several minutes.

Serve

Run spatula around skillet edge to loosen frittata; invert onto serving plate. Cut into wedges. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Country Frittata

A frittata is like an omelet but without the fancy pan work. It’s similar to a quiche without the troublesome crust, additional dairy products and long baking time.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Author: Mary Hunt

Ingredients

  • 2 tspn olive oil
  • 1 pound cooked potatoes cut into small chunks
  • 2 oz ham, pancetta, or cooked chicken
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • ½ cup frozen peas thawed
  • 8 eggs,large
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 F. 
  • In a 12-inch nonstick pan with oven proof handle, heat olive oil until hot. 
  • Add the potatoes, meat and garlic and sauté just until golden on all sides. Add peas.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and pour over the filling. 
  • Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium low heat, occasionally sliding a spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen the frittata as it cooks.
  • Cook until nearly set.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and place in a 350-degree oven for two to four minutes or until set evenly and slightly golden. Yum! Serves 6.

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7 replies
  1. Anita says:

    Yum. If we don’t have any potatoes, I’ve found that cooked pasta, rice, or roasted veggies are also great in a frittata. I recommend a couple of shakes of hot sauce too.

    Reply
  2. Linda Radosevich says:

    To answer Gail who’s looking for a way to soften new blue jeans: salt. A lot of salt. Pour nearly a container of salt in with your jeans in the first wash, and run the load, no soap. We’ve used salt for years to soften our blue jeans.

    Reply
  3. Gina Stevens says:

    5 stars
    This takes me back to the early seventies when a little hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop in LaJolla, CA served the greatest zucchini frittatas on a crusty sourdough roll. Thanks for the memories!

    Reply

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