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Vegetarian Frittata Recipe
I had never made a frittata until I met my friend Elizabeth seven years ago. It seemed like every time I stopped by her house, she was pulling a skillet loaded with eggs and vegetables out of the oven. We’d stand around her kitchen talking, taking piping hot bites of whatever the special was that day, while our children ran wild around the house.
She was onto something good.
Frittatas are Italian-style omelets, a healthy, filling crustless quiche that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. I find myself going back to this kind of cooking quite a bit lately. Just good honest food, created from a combination of what’s in season and what’s on hand. Fresh and fast, not fussy. That would be the perfect tagline for the humble frittata.
RELATED: Mushroom, Cheese and Toast Frittata
Frittatas are a simple frugal option, open to endless variations. What’s in your refrigerator? Potatoes, spinach, and onions? Make a frittata! What’s in season? Tomatoes, basil, and peppers? Make a frittata! What are you craving? Roasted garlic, caramelized onions, and goat cheese? Make a frittata! You could add meat, if you want. Bits of ham or bacon would be right at home with the other ingredients. Odds and ends leftovers never looked (or tasted) so incredibly good.It’s pretty much the egg version of Fried Rice.
To make a frittata, you simply cook a combination of vegetables in a skillet on the stovetop. Add the beaten eggs to the same pan and cook on medium heat until the eggs are mostly set. Sprinkle some cheese on top and slide it under the broiler for a couple minutes until the eggs are completely cooked and slighly puffed, with pockets of golden brown vegetables and melted cheese.
Use the recipe below as a guide. Once you have the hang of these simple steps, you’ll be whipping delicious frittatas out of the oven like an old pro.
Clear your refrigerator, chop some vegetables, crack some eggs, and cook it together for a simple, filling meal packed with fresh, healthy ingredients. (And make sure you check out our other vegetarian recipes here!)
Vegetarian Frittata
2 T. olive oil 1 small onion (about 1/4 cup), chopped 8 oz. potatoes, unpeeled & sliced into thin rounds 8 oz. seasonal vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, etc.) 10 eggs 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. ground pepper 1/2 c. cheese (Parmesan, goat, feta, etc.) 3 T. chopped chives or green onions (optional)
Heat the oil in a 10-12″ ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, potatoes, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and turning golden brown.
Stir in the vegetables and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until they soften. Scoop 1/2 of this mixture out of the skillet and onto a plate; set aside.
Crack and beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs directly into the hot skillet with the vegetables.
Cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are mostly set, about 8-12 minutes. Don’t mess with it too much. To help cook the eggs, slide a metal spatula around the outside and lift up, tilting the pan to allow the uncooked eggs to run underneath and cook faster. You don’t want the underside of the eggs to get too brown, but you also don’t want to scramble the eggs.
Top with the reserved vegetable mixture and sprinkle with the cheese. Place the skillet under a broiler set on low for 1-2 minutes (watch carefully!), or until the top of the frittata is slightly puffed and golden and the eggs are completely cooked.
Remove from the broiler (sprinkle with chopped chives or green onions, if desired). Serve warm or at room temperature.
I love my cast iron cookware, like this10.25″ Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet (Amazon). I’m not even exaggerating. It really, truly has a special place in my hungry heart. It’s just so heavy and sturdy and reliable.
My Lodge cast iron skillet is perfectly seasoned, creating a nonstick surface. I could easily slide a whole frittata out of my cast iron skillet and onto a serving platter or cutting board. But I wouldn’t do that to my trusty kitchen buddy! I love plunking my cast iron pots & pans straight onto the table. It’s like they say, “Hey, I work hard around here, and I’m proud of it. Here, eat some good food.” I told you I love them.
Looking for more delicious things to do with eggs?
Frittatas are an Italian dish consisting of cooked eggs with other ingredients added in like meat, vegetables, or cheese. Unlike omelets and scrambled eggs, frittatas are not moved or folded over as they're cooked. The frittata is cooked whole, without disturbing, in one large piece.
I like to use an enameled cast iron skillet, which does not require any pre-seasoning. If you don't have a skillet, go make this breakfast casserole recipe instead.
But unlike omelets, egg frittatas can serve a family fast. And unlike most egg recipes, a four-serving frittata cooks all at once without any flipping or fuss. Plus, since there's no crust (like quiches), it makes it a healthier breakfast option.
Adding a bit of dairy, whether it's cream or thick yogurt, is essential for getting the moisture and creaminess of the frittata just right. For every dozen eggs, use a half cup of dairy. It can be cream, whole milk, sour cream, yogurt, crème fraîche, even cottage cheese.
They are full of healthy nutrients and are a great source of protein. Next, frittatas are an easy dish to add lots of colourful vegetables to (that even kids and fussy eaters will love)- here are a few of my favourites to add: pumpkin, broccoli, baby spinach, capsicum, mushroom, tomato and red onion.
Pre-seasoning the eggs with salt helps them retain moisture during cooking. Cooking the vegetables in batches gives us more control over their texture. Keeping the cheese in large chunks gives us oozy pockets in the frittata. Flipping the frittata ensures a creamy, dense center.
When you refrigerate cooked eggs, they'll stay good to eat for three to four days, so you can easily make a frittata (or two) during Sunday meal prep, slice and pack it up, and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner almost all week long. In fact, frittatas are so foolproof, you don't even need a recipe to make one.
As the frittata cooks, the air bubbles trapped in the egg whites heat up and inflate, causing the whole thing to puff up like a balloon. The puffiness doesn't last long—at least not the dramatic, over-the-lip-of-the-pan bit of it.
When cooking a frittata, it's always a good idea to add dairy, specifically whole milk. Dairy isn't absolutely required to make a frittata, but if you want an ideal creamy consistency, you should add it. If milk isn't your style, you can even add yogurt to your frittata recipe to thicken it.
I keep a lower heat to try to keep the bottom from burning. I strongly suggest using a nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron pan (I LOVE this pan - crisps, frittatas, casseroles, the best)…or the whole thing can be baked in a well greased, oven-proof dish.
The solution is to partially cook the frittata on the stove. To prevent the bottom from burning on the stovetop, give the frittata a few stirs until you can see some large curds of egg and it starts to turn opaque, but it's still wet enough to flatten off the top.
They're filling and quick to make. Serve with a fresh salad, bacon, cooked vegetables, a small bowl of soup, bread, biscuits, tortilla chips, smoky sausages, naan, or anything that suits your appetite. Omelets are a fantastic choice that's also kid-friendly.
Frittatas are cooked in a cast iron pan or oven-safe skillet because they are started on the stovetop and then finished in the oven. And, unlike omelets, frittata fillings are mixed in with the eggs in the pan rather than folded in the center.
A frittata is partially cooked in a skillet on the cooktop then finished in the oven. It also has a lower egg to dairy ratio making it closer to an open faced omelet than a pie. Quiche has a creamier, custard-like texture due to more dairy and is cooked entirely in the oven.
Any bread, toast, English muffin, roll or croissant.A side dish of bacon, ham or hash. If you haven't used bread then you can serve fried potatoes or hash browns. A grilled tomato goes well with a cheese omelette.
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