Everything in the Pantry Frittata

The traditional Frittata is an easy recipe and a great way to use ingredients such as vegetables and cheese that are already in your kitchen.   It’s  a delicious omelette alternative for breakfast, an even better weekend lunch, and easy to cook for a large crowd. 

Ingredients:

1 Handful of each item you need to get rid of, including but not limited to onions, tomatoes, spinach, arugula, mushrooms, peppers, shallots, and asparagus.  You can use meat or seafood as well – ham, asparagus, salmon, or shrimp.

2 tablespoons of butter

10 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk ( optional, see notes)

1/3 of a cup of grated cheese ( Parmesan, Pecorino, Swiss, or my favorite, Parrano)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Chop the vegetables.  In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In a medium sized  oven-proof non stick saucepan or skillet, saute vegetables and pantry ingredients in butter until gently cooked.   Save any vegetables that do not need to be cooked as a last minute addition ( ie, tomatoes, sun dried or regular).

Remove the saucepan from the heat and  allow it to cool slightly.  Add the egg mixture to the saucepan.  Put the entire pan in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are almost completely set.  Remove the pan, add shredded cheese to the top of the frittata.  Place the pan back in the oven and cook until cheese is golden.  Remove from the oven, check that eggs are cooked through the center, and allow the frittata to cool for 5 minutes.  Use a rubber sptual to remove the frittata from the pan.  Cut into quarters and serve.

Notes:  Some recipes call for the eggs to set on the stove over heat, and then be broiled to completion in the oven.  This method seems to produce a fluffier frittata, but I prefer to bake the entire dish, producing a thinner, slicker final product.   For this reason, I add the cheese at the end so it doesn’t burn.   The fluff factor of eggs is also determined by how much they are whisked, and how much milk is added.  For fluffier eggs, add more milk and beat more air into your egg mixture.  For less fluff, forgo milk and beat gently. I don’t add garlic, although many recipes call for garlic, and I dont like cheese in the frittata, I much prefer it as a topping.  Create your own by scouring your kitchen for surprising ingredients.  Mine is made with mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and vidalia onion.