Sometimes – which actually is quite often, now that school has started – there is ‘dinner rush’ in my house. On those days I can always rely on a frittata. Most of the time I have eggs at hand and I add whatever sits in my fridge. This time I used a zucchini, red pepper, and some leftover cooked pasta. Pasta in an omelet? Yes, it’s a classical Italian way of using leftover pasta and actually very tasty. Moreover, it gives the frittata some extra bite and substance, which turns the omelet into a perfect dish for dinner.
Vegetarian main dish, serves 4
Action Time: 25 minutes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic gloves, minced
1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 red peper, seeds removed and diced
6 medium eggs
about 7oz/ 200 g (leftover) cooked pasta (plain of with sauce)
a handful of fresh herbs (such as basil and oregano)
1.75 oz/ 50 g Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
a handful of olives
Extra: cast-iron skillet
1. Preheat the broiler. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened, for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and red pepper and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper. Mix in the red pepper mixture, the cooked pasta, and fresh herbs.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a cast-iron skillet and pour in the egg mixture. Cook over a low to medium heat for about 4 minutes; be careful not to burn the bottom of the frittata.
4. Top with the Parmesan and broil until the frittata is golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm with crusty bread and a salad (we served it with a heirloom tomato salad with burrata, yum).