Frittata is one of my lifesaving dishes: it’s quick and easy to make, nutritious, tasty and almost everybody likes it. Moreover, it can be cooked with many different ingredients, making it the ideal dish for any meal, for a picnic, even for a sandwich. It’s inexpensive, can be served warm or cold, and turns into a perfect leftover.
Make it with zucchini or spinach for a light dinner or breakfast, with potatoes and mushrooms as a warm appetizer, with tomatoes and basil in the summer. The choice is almost endless.
No matter what ingredients you choose, the basic technique is the same. Just sauté the ingredients beforehand, then add them to the beaten eggs, stir well, and cook.
For a good result I recommend a good non-stick pan, a heat-resistant spatula and, ideally, a second pan for turning the frittata (but you can also do it with a plate).
Expert cooks toss the frittata in the air for flipping it, but I don’t like dangerous aerobatic maneuvers in my kitchen, probably because I don’t have sous-chefs who clean up my messes. I stick to the much safer second pan (or plate) method and I consider myself lucky if I can flip it without any spill.
Ingredients:
(serves 4)
- 6 eggs, fresh and organic
- 2 medium zucchini
- ½ red onion
- 4 slices of cooked ham
- 1 Tbsp. of parsley, chopped
- 4 Tbsp. Evoo
- Salt
- Pepper
Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut and discard the two tips, then cut in rounds approx. ¼ inch thick. Chop the onion and sauté in 2 Tbsp. of Evoo. When the onion starts turning translucent, add the zucchini, the ham, salt and pepper, and sauté until cooked but not soft, about 7 minutes.
Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt and beat with an electric beater on high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the cooked zucchini to the eggs, clean the pan with a paper towel and grease it with 1 Tbsp. Evoo. Warm up the pan and pour the eggs & zucchini mix into the pan, spreading the zucchini evenly.
With a non-stick spatula, keep pushing the rim of the frittata towards its center, so that the rest of the eggs come into contact with the hot pan. Keeping the heat on medium/high, repeat this operation all around the frittata. Make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan by sliding the spatula under its rim.
Flip the frittata. For this tricky maneuver I prefer to warm up a second pan, slightly bigger than the first one. I grease it with oil, making sure it’s very warm before transferring the frittata into it. Then I move over the sink – absolutely do not do it over the stove! – to flip my frittata into the second pan. It takes guts but it can be done.
If you have only one pan, flip the frittata onto a flat platter, then carefully slide it back into the pan.
Again, push the edge of the frittata away from the rim of the pan and make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom by raising it with the spatula. If the frittata lost its round shape when you flipped it, push it back together with the spatula. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat.
Transfer the frittata onto a plate and serve warm or cold.