Easy Frittata Recipe
Easy Frittata Recipe
For every easy frittata recipe discussion, it is compulsory to talk about how you don’t spell easy frittata recipe like this – easy fritatta recipe. You wouldn’t necessarily know this from all the google searching that happens, but many seem to have a penchant for spelling frittata as fritata or fritatta. Not that it matters because the google is good at steering us in the right direction. And, Frittata is fun to say.
Another compulsory discussion point regarding any easy frittata recipe is that a frittata is not a crustless quiche. There seems to be a difference of opinion where some believe a frittata should be custardy and rich like a quiche (sans crust of course) whereas others believe a frittata is more omelette like, more rustic, if you will. I am in the camp of those who think a frittata is more rustic, never having been served a frittata even remotely resembling a custard. This is not to say that the cooking did not yield a tender egg center, but a tender egg center is not a custard. I will hazard a guess and say that most frittata recipes don’t have enough dairy in them to make a custard center. Plus, the point of baking the frittata is to make it puff a little and give it a little golden brownness. In some cases frittatas are broiled. When was the last time you broiled a quiche?
In truth, it does not really matter to me. Mostly I like my frittata delicious and prefer when my frittata recipe is an easy frittata recipe. What also matters is that we come together as a community and stop the Hakuna Frittata jokes. Ok, this makes me sound grumpy. Oh well.
The third compulsory part of any easy frittata recipe is to make sure the recipe is well, easy. Chopping of the vegetables does not have to be fancy, just some normal dicing. If the dice is a little large, no worries. A little texture is nice in a frittata. The only real compulsory thing is that you have to cook the vegetables first. If the veggies go in raw, you risk a watery frittata. That won’t be good.
One vegetable, fruit actually, that is very good in a frittata is tomato. Why? Because when it is first cooked, it reduces and the sugars in the tomato get syrupy and begin to caramelize. Plus, when you add the egg, the tomato sinks and creates a gooey layer of tomato on the bottom of the frittata. This layer is tasty and adds a lot to the frittata. Caramelized tomato with some caramelized onion and bell peppers makes a nice frittata. I am often tempted to turn the frittata upside down and serve it tomato side up. It is almost as if the frittata creates its own sauce layer! Yum!
Another no brainer is the addition of potatoes, even purple ones. An easy frittata recipe without potatoes is probably an anomaly, but sometimes I like to serve my frittata with french fries so there is no reason to add the spuds. Serving frittata with french fries is tasty. In fact eggs and french fries were made for each other. Try them with eggs over easy! Dip the fries in the yolk!
Dairy is a welcome addition, but not fully compulsory. I like to add creme fraiche or sour cream to the eggs and then dollop in some mounds of mascarpone cheese before the frittata sets. Puddles of cheese in a frittata are a good thing, especially when it is warm and the cheese is smooth and creamy! It is nice when the frittata is served with french fries and the cheese gets all over them! Mmmm…..
Herbs are another welcome addition. These go in the egg not with the vegetables. They typically float to the top and make for a good burst of flavor when biting in to the frittata!
Here is a video that shows you how to make this easy frittata recipe. Of course, it can be modified in a ton of ways with meats, vegetables and cheeses that you like. Just make sure everything is cooked before hand.
Here is my easy frittata recipe with tomato, onion, pepper and mascarpone cheese!
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1/2 lb sweet cherry tomatoes
- 1 red pepper (any color will do)
- 1 oz of fresh cilantro
- 10 eggs
- 4 oz of creme fraiche or sour cream
- 8 oz of mascarpone cheese
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Peel and dice the onion into a medium dice.
- Dice the cherry tomatoes or slice them in sixths.
- Core and de-seed the pepper. Chop the pepper into medium dice.
- Rough chop the cilantro.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Whisk the creme fraiche into the eggs until it is full incorporated. Add the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a medium oven proof frying pan over medium heat. Add 3 tbs of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the onions and cook until just tender about 5-7 minutes. Add the peppers. Cook another 7-8 minutes until the peppers are just tender. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until the tomatoes become thick and syrupy. Season with salt and pepper.
- With a wooden spoon, spread the vegetable mixture evenly in the pan. Pour in the egg mixture. Turn the heat to low. Let the egg mixture cook for about 10 minutes. Spoon in dollops of mascarpone around the frittata. Place the pan in the oven and cook the frittata until it is getting puffy and just set. If desired, the frittata can be lightly browned under the broiler
- When the frittata is done, remove it from the oven and turn it out on to a plate. Slice the frittata like a pie.
- The frittata can be served hot or at room temperature.
- This easy frittata recipe can be personalised in many ways. A variety of different meats, vegetables and cheeses can be used, just make sure they are fully cooked beforehand.
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