Happy New Year! Wishing all a healthy, happy, kind year. Today I am making frittata.

Frittata is a delicious dish to make for others or as a single dish. It makes an easy dinner and can be made in 20 minutes, perfect for those busy nights, just add a salad, some sautéed vegetables, potatoes or your favorite side. Frittatas taste even better the next day, even cold or a room temperature.

Other than eggs, there are endless choices. Use up leftover meat or vegetables. Best to use already cooked meats and vegetables and add a full fat dairy to the eggs. This will result in a creamier, more delicious frittata. You can leave it out, but I wouldn’t. Use whole milk, cream, yogurt, crème fraîche. Whatever your preference, use full fat, rather than a ‘light’ version.

There is nothing better for breakfast, lunch or dinner than warm eggs filled with veggies, meat and cheese. One of my favorites is asparagus, fennel, manchego, mozzarella and parmesan. But put in what your like. My frittatas vary by season and what is available and are heartier in the winter and lighter in the warmer months.

Our family always made a frittata filled with ricotta cheese and sausage for Easter and until I started making them for myself, didn’t venture outside that tradition.

Fritata Pan

I recommend using a cast iron skillet or an oven-safe nonstick skillet.

How to make a Frittata

Preheat oven to broil and get started on the frittata. For a ten inch skillet, use 8-10 eggs, a few cups of vegetables or meat and about a cup to cup and a half of cheese. When mixing the eggs, salt them before cooking. This helps to retain the moisture in the eggs. Beat the eggs only until combined. Over-beating will result in a puffy frittata. The recipe below calls for asparagus and fennel as the vegetables and manchego, mozzarella and parmesan for the cheese, but substitute what you like. Here are a few combination options;

Sautéed or steamed lightly seasoned vegetables:

Boiled or roasted potatoes
Fresh greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Wild mushrooms
Zucchini
Asparagus
Eggplant
Peppers
Artichokes
Leeks
Potatoes
Onions
Tomato
Fennel

Cheeses:

Melting cheeses—such as provolone, mozzarella, fontina, gouda, cheddar
Parmigiano, grana, goat, feta and Pecorino Romano
Ricotta —for a lighter taste and texture

Cold cuts or air-cured meats:

Sopressata
Salami
Mortadella
Prosciutto
Pancetta
Ham
Roasted chicken or turkey

Herbs and Seasonings

Pesto
Rosemary
Basil
Sage
Garlic
Chives

Asparagus Fennel Manchego Frittata

recipe

INGREDIENTS

For the eggs

8-10 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk or cream

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the filling

1 medium shallot, sliced into thin pieces

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 bulbs fennel, outer layer peeled and sliced into thin slices, about 1/2-3/4 inch wide and 1-2 inches long

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup diced manchego cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

TOOLS

10-inch oven-proof skillet, cast iron or non-stick

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Melt butter and oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until translucent. Add asparagus and fennel and sauté until tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Whisk eggs, milk, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet; gently combine, cook 4 to 5 minutes until egg mixture sets on bottom and top and sides begin to set. Sprinkle remaining cheese over eggs.

Place pan in the oven and broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn a golden color. About 3 minutes.

Cool slightly and cut into wedges to serve.