I love frittatas.
They are delicious.
Easy.
And bonus, one of those lovely things you can whip up when you are out of most groceries.
A frittata is basically a crust-less quiche you make on the stove top.
They can be so beautiful, and if you know the basics, you can add a bevy of ingredients.
I made a cheeseless asparagus, onion, spinach, potato frittata.
But you can add cheeses or cooked meats, and any other veggies or herbs you like.
Such as red bell pepper, broccoli, basil or leeks (to name a few).
(when I say cooked meats I mean, cook something like bacon before putting it in the mixture)
So, how do you even begin to make such a concoction?
Here is my easy as pie way to make a frittata.
Then I'll give you some tips for adding other ingredients.
How to Make a Frittata
For a basic Frittata all you need is a little butter, olive oil, cheese and eggs.
Plus salt and pepper.
When making a frittata your egg and veggie/cheese/meat mixtures are combined after you sauté your veggies.
I begin by grabbing a mixing bowl and setting 6 fresh eggs aside with my bowl.
You won't use the eggs at all until you cook the veggies.
Then I sauté any desired assortment of veggies in olive oil.
(do not add salt to the sautéing veggies or they will release all their water)
For 6 eggs I used a medium potato, half a bunch of asparagus (about 8), half a chopped small red or sweet onion (or a small bunch of scallions), a bunch of chopped spinach and the medium potato sliced into thin rounds.
If you are using potatoes add them to the olive oil first so they can cook and brown a little, since they take longer to cook that the greens. So, get your oil nice and hot, put in your potatoes, flip them after a couple minutes, then pop in your onions, asparagus and spinach.
While that is sautéing, mix your 6 eggs in a bowl with a fork.
I add a couple hearty pinches of salt, a small pinch of pepper and two pinches of garlic powder. Mixing it all in with my fork.
Set bowl with eggs aside.
Check on your sautéing veggies.
Once they are done (I like my asparagus fairly al dente and still bright green), turn off the heat.
On another burner heat up a medium to large skillet/pan, adding a slurp of olive oil and a small pat of butter, making sure the pan is coated.
Then take your sauteed veggies and slowly stir them into the bowl that holds your raw egg mixture.
At this point you can pop in a handful of grated cheese of your choice into the egg mixture.
Or any cooked meats you'd like to add.
Set your burner with your heated pan to low (my gas burner goes from low starting at 2, all the way to high being 9, so I set mine in between the 2 and 3 - which is low).
Pour your mixture into the oiled and buttered pan.
Then cover your mixture in the pan with a lid, and set the timer for 16 minutes.
Do not ever remove the lid during cook time, because the magic will be happening.
The slow cook sets the entire mixture, you never have to flip it or move it at all.
All the work is done by the lid.
Voila!
Now, here is my cooking tip.
If you are using a medium sized skillet it could take up to 20 minutes to cook.
If you are using a large skillet like mine, 15 - 16 minutes means done.
(the smaller the pan/skillet, the thicker the frittata)
Some people also pop the entire thing in the broiler for a few minutes to brown it all after it is fully cooked.
But I do not do that.
The bottom gets browned enough for my taste.
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Now, here are my steps above, but in photos, below.
Just in case you need a visual :)
Sauté veggies of choice (do not add salt).
If you would like to use potatoes as I have, cook them a little while in the olive oil on their own (per instructions above).
When the veggies are almost done...
Mix 6 eggs with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
(I use two hearty pinches of salt, one small pinch of pepper and two good pinches of garlic powder)
Mix with a fork.
Then set bowl of eggs aside.
Take sauteed veggies and slowly mix into egg mixture.
Stir with a fork again.
At this point you can add a handful of grated cheese of your choice, or cooked meats.
(if you use parmesan cheese don't put in the initial salt, as the parm is very salty)
Heat a medium to large pan/skillet and add a slurp of olive oil and a pat of butter.
Make sure entire pain is coated.
Then, simply pour in your egg mixture.
Set it to a low temp.
My gas stove goes from 2 being low, to 9 being high.
So, I set my burner between the 2 and 3.
Then cover your pan, and set the timer for 15-16 minutes for a large skillet.
Or 17-20 minutes for a medium skillet.
(the smaller the pan/skillet, the thicker the frittata)
Make sure you do not remove the lid during cook time, unless you are checking it close to the end time.
When the frittata is done it will be set as you see below.
The egg is completely cooked, and the bottom will have a brown crust.
Mine cooked in 16 minutes.
You can serve it in the skillet.
Or use a spatula to go around the entire pan loosening the bottom, and then tip your pan over a plate and carefully slide the frittata onto the plate.
Steaming and lovely.
Mmmmm!
You can use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut your slices.
Don't the sides look so pretty?
The under side has a nice brown crust as expected.
Yuuuum!
You can top the slices with guacamole or simple avocado slices.
Sour cream, or even salsa.
It's so easy.
You can make a frittata with many or little ingredients.
You can make it all cheese, or all veggie.
Or meat, veggie and cheese.
Your call.
Delicioso!
Highly recommended dish.
From my kitchen to yours.
It's good in spring and winter.
Fall and summer too.
It always hits the spot in our house.
Do you like frittatas?
Have you ever made one?
I hope you do now, if you haven't yet.
See you super soon!
Love, V
ps: Frittatas are good with tomatoes and basil too.
You can be as creative as you'd like with this dish.
pss: Here are some pics of a frittata I made in a different blog post.
