Fall in Love With This Winter Vegetable Frittata
As my Italian husband often tells me, “In ý, food is an obsession.” While living in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna for almost 10 years, I witnessed this infatuation and ardent passion for food on a daily basis. I’d be at breakfast in a local bar enjoying a cappuccino and briochewith an Italian friend and before I knew it the conversation would gradually transition to what she would be having for lunch. Sunday lunch at my in-laws would always include an overflowing bowl of homemade pasta, and while my taste buds would be savoring the silky noodles and accompanying sauce, my mother-in-law, like clockwork, would be describing to me what she had prepared for dinner and whether I wanted to take some home with me. And, then of course, a date night out for a pizza with my hubby usually progressed to mapping out plans for a new restaurant or dish we heard about and wanted to try that following week.
That is why, it comes as no surprise that in ý almost every ingredient or traditional recipe is celebrated in some way, typically by means of a sagra or town festival. Each year in Montaquila, a town in the Molise region of southern ý, they celebrate La Sagra della Frittata or the “Frittata Festival.” In 2018, they kicked off the event by making a maxi-frittata with 1,501 eggs!
If you’ve never enjoyed a frittata, you are in for a treat and it’s a great solution to reducing waste. In Italian households, the frittata is a common way to use up any leftover ingredients you have in the fridge--vegetables, protein, pasta, beans, cheese--the list goes on. You can follow the recipe below or simply adapt it with what you have on hand. Enjoy!
Serves: 4-8
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Add the water and leeks to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium high until the leeks are soft; about 5 minutes. Add the extra virgin olive oil, green onion, kale, brussels sprouts and mushrooms. Heat until vegetables are soft; 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a medium sized bowl then stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, milk and parsley. When the vegetables are cooked, pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. (For a prettier presentation, remove half of the vegetables, pour in the egg mixture then layer those vegetables on top.) Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the eggs are just barely set. Carefully slide the cast iron skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the egg mixture doesn’t run if sliced with a knife. Serve warm or cold. Buon appetito!
