Pasta Frittata

 

So, I’m back again in a week. I’d love to share my recipes here more often, but thanks to my work and winter, by the time I cook dinner on weekdays there’s not a peek of natural-light left and at times I’m just not motivated enough for food photography. Weekends are when I spend time on recipes I want to share with all food lovers.

I love weekend brunches! When it’s late to have a breakfast and too early for lunch, a simple meal that is filling and satisfying enough to make our day relaxing is what makes a perfect brunch…and eggs are just so right to serve this very purpose! ‘Frittata’ is basically a heavier version of omelette to me. It is native to Italian cuisine and is made by combining eggs with a variety of ingredients such as simple vegetables, cheese and/or pasta.

Both of us, myself and hubby just cannot do without omelettes at-least once or twice a week….so ‘frittata’ is a nice refreshing change once in a while. I’ve made it before with spinach and mushrooms and we loved it. This time I made it with some nice and wholesome wheat penne pasta. I also added some broccoli and green squash to add a veggie portion. I’m not a fan of broccoli, so I cut it into tiny florets. I grated the green squash just for a smoother texture, but you could chop it into small chunks if you like. I used non-fat milk just to smooth out the egg mixture a little. You could instead use heavy cream if you like. I kept the spices to a minimum – only salt and pepper just enough to bring everything together. And since everything is better with cheese, I used some freshly grated parmesan cheese and finished it off with flat leaf parsley as garnish.

Serve it warm right from the skillet drizzled with some ketchup along side coffee or orange/mango juice.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 6 to 8 mins
Serves: 2 or 3

Recipe

– Penne Pasta (I used whole wheat) – 1n1/2 cup
– Eggs – 4
– Milk – 1/4th cup
– Broccoli – 1/2 cup – tiny florets
– Green Squash – 1 small-sized – grated
– Salt – 1n1/2 tsp
– Pepper (freshly ground) – 3/4th tsp
– Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated) – 1/4th cup
– Olive oil – 3 tsps
– Parsley – for garnish

1. Boil water in a deep dish. Add a tsp of salt. Once, the salt dissolves add pasta and boil it as per the package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. Rinse the veggies well. Cut the broccoli into tiny florets and grate the squash. I squeezed excess water off the grated squash. Set these aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, break all 4 eggs and whisk well. Add salt, pepper and milk. Whisk well. Now, add broccoli and squash. Mix everything well.

4. Add the egg mixture over the pasta in the pasta bowl set aside. Add 1/4th cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Mix well until all the pasta is well coated.

5. Heat a skillet and add 2 tsps of oil. Add the entire pasta mixture into the skillet. On low-medium heat, let it cook for around 4 to 5 mins. Add a tsp of oil through the sides.

6. When the sides are loosened from the skillet and the top appears firm, place a plate over the skillet and very carefully flip it. Place the skillet back on the stove, slide the frittata into the skillet and let the other side cook for around 3 mins just until the top is lightly brown. Turn off the stove, flip the frittata again (top side up) to serve.

Garnish with fresh parsley and more grated parmesan cheese. Serve with ketchup along-side your favorite wake-up drink!

Note:

– Add your favorite veggies – spinach, potatoes, bell peppers for variations.
– If you are not sure about flipping the frittata, you can finish it off in the oven at 325 deg F for just around 3 to 4 mins until the top is palely brown.
– You could substitute pasta with spaghetti if you like.