Pomodori e Vino

The first time I remember seeing a frittata on the menu in an Italian restaurant was many years ago. It was listed as an appetizer - Frittata Gamberetti. I asked the waiter what a frittata was. He said, "Oh it's like an omelet, but we don't fold it over. We just pile the shrimp on top." I had a hard time visualizing an omelet as an appetizer and opted for the old standby, Toasted Ravioli, instead.

Fast forward more than 30 years and reading Marcella's description of frittate, she also compares it to an open-faced omelet, but in a much more elegant and appetizing way. Had she been the one explaining Frittata Gamberetti to me, I might have ordered it.

So, now I find myself reporting on Frittata with Cheese. Eggs, parmigiano-reggiano, butter, salt & pepper. A few simple ingredients, one delicious result. The secret to a perfectly cooked frittata is patience. You must have the patience to wait while it cooks slowly over very low heat. If the bottom browns before the top is almost set, the heat is too high. I turned mine down so low, I could hardly see the flame at all.

The trick I use to know when it’s done is to jiggle the pan ever so slightly. If the entire frittata seems able to make ‘waves’, it isn’t done. When you jiggle the pan and only see a slight movement you’re ready to finish it under the broiler – just long enough to set the face, but not brown it.

While the frittata was cooking, it occured to me that I hadn't planned a meal around it, I was just taking advantage of a free hour in the middle of a Saturday afternoon to accomplish my assigned cooking task for the week. On a whim, I decided to turn it into an appetizer as an homage to that long-ago menu item. Instead of dumping shrimp into a pan of eggs, I decided to grilled the shrimp separately. I cut my 10" frittata into 12 equal wedges; placed one wedge on a small plate; laid two grilled shrimp along-side; & garnished with a small dab of pesto. It was quite good, and made a beautiful presentation.

You no doubt have seen the previous posts from Deborah and Doug about Frittate. It's my turn now, and my selection was a Frittata with Zucchini and Basil. I make frittate quite often, and also use zucchini in mine a lot. Although the basis of Marcella's recipe is similar to what I use, there are so differences that make her recipe much better-much creamier and richer-tasting.

First, for this dish you slowly saute sliced onions in olive oil very slowly until they are almost carmelized and a rich brown color. This is one of the big differences in flavor for me, because I love onions cooked this way. You next slice zucchini and add to the onions, and cook again until the zucchini is light brown. You then make the frittata by mixing together eggs, parmigiano-reggiano, the vegetable mixture and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn into a skillet, and cook over low heat and cook until the eggs are set but the surface is still runny. You then place the skillet under a broiler to finish cooking the top of the eggs.

This can be served hot or at room temperature. Served with a salad and some fruit, this makes a nice light dinner or lunch. I saved my leftovers and had them for breakfast the next morning.

This was one recipe that I was really looking forward to making. When I was working on the recipes for our breakfast catering menu at our store, I fell in love with frittatas. I had never really made any up until that time. I had always been an omelet maker. Omelets were one of the special treats that my son, Zachary wanted most Saturdays. Needless to say I can flip one with the best. When I started making the frittatas it was a change to put the stuffing in the egg mixture and to finish it off in the oven instead of flipping it. It felt almost like cheating.

I have a frittata that I make using asparagus, but it also has leeks, mushrooms, and fontina cheese in it, so it is much different than this one. This is very typical of Marcella’s recipes in that it is the simple ingredients that shine. Basically the frittata is eggs, asparagus, and parmesan cheese. Of course you season it with salt and pepper and cook it in a skillet with melted butter and then finish it off in the oven.

The only dilemma that I faced in making this frittata was that the recipe called for peeling the asparagus. Asparagus is my favorite vegetable and I have eaten it in many different ways and I have never felt the need to peel it. However, in the interest of this challenge that we have taken on, I was willing to put that aside and follow the recipe exactly. Unfortunately, when I went shopping the only asparagus that they had were these very thin, little stalks. I sat staring at the stalks wondering how I was going to peel these little things. I finally gave up and didn’t do it, because I would have been left with toothpicks!

Then, the last situation that affected the outcome, was my ability to switch numbers in my head. ½ inch pieces of asparagus turned into 2 inch quite easily. When I mixed the asparagus and eggs together, I thought to myself that these pieces looked very large. I then went back to the recipe and saw my mistake, so of course I spent the next 5 minutes picking slimy asparagus out and slicing it smaller. I couldn’t get to all of them, but I made a valiant effort!

After cooking the frittata, I sat down to try it and it was so good, I needed to have a second piece.

Thanks to a typo I've been given two chances to try eggs again this week. I’m egg-cited. [smile] An opportunity like this does not come around everyday! Hang in there with me…I’m trying to build momentum for myself. My very first post explains my egg dilemma. (http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/pomodori_e_vino/monday_irene/)

I decided to make the potato & onion frittata on the stove top and the green bean frittata in the oven.

Pan-Fried Onion and Potato
The first step for this recipe is to cook diced potatoes in two stages until they are nicely browned. While the potatoes cool you cook the onion. Mix both ingredients with the eggs, salt and pepper then add to the prepared skillet.

Green Bean
For this recipe the fresh green beans are cooked in salted water until tender but still firm. Eggs, beans, salt, pepper, parmesan are mixed together and poured into a buttered dish. Bake.

They both smell wonderful. Better than any egg dishes I’ve cooked before. I am a bit surprised with the results. I was able to eat an entire slice of potato/onion frittata. It was just like eating fried potatoes and sweet caramelized onions held together with a soft mystery ingredient. The mystery here is that it did not taste like eggs.

I managed to eat a little over half a slice of the green bean frittata before my gag reflex started to quiver. I had to stop eating but not before noting the perfectly cooked green beans and surprisingly mild flavor of the cheese. I could taste the eggs more here but it was dare I say…tasty.

No food will be wasted today. I live with two egg lovers who are enjoying them as I type. I’ll take the glistening lips and rapid chewing as thumbs up. Wow! I cannot believe it. I was able to eat a cooked egg dish without my usual unpleasant reaction. Hooray for me! I have to go call my mother. She’s not going to believe this.

I think I may have I've found my favorite frittata. I'm a little surprised by this discovery. The idea of combining eggs and pasta has never occured to me. It just isn't anywhere in my food experiences. And in all my years of visiting Italy, I've never seen the dish on a menu, never had it served to me at a friend's table. I don't understand how I missed out all these years.

But, guess what -- I love the combination. I love the body the pasta gives to the dish. I love the texture and I love the flavor. It's like one of your favorite starchy comfort foods partnered with some nice healthy protein.

Following Marcella's suggestion, I made the simple butter, cheese, and parsley sauce for the pasta. I'm glad I did, because it gave me the chance to experience the combination of pasta and egg without other flavors to distract.

I loved the way the spaghetti developed a nice golden crust under the broiler.

The ten inch frittata made four very generous servings. Add a little salad and some wine and you've got an easy, delicious, and filling meal.