Sometimes plans change at the drop of a hat in my kitchen. I’d planed on making a few omelets on Sunday morning for a nice sit down brunch with my wife, and then it happened. I reached into the fridge to pull out the basic “eggs/milk/butter” and some mushrooms I wanted to use up, and there was a half wedge of Parmesan Reggiano, just staring at me, all dried-up and neglected looking.
I couldn’t have that cheese looking all pathetic like that. I could tell that the Romano had been making fun of it, what with its wrapper intact and still looking like the prettiest girl at the harvest moon ball. (We’ll be fixing that in a day or so!) And then I remembered that Shawnda of Confections of a Foodie Bride had just posted on frittata and my path was set.
I don’t know why I don’t make frittata more often. They’re simple, versatile and oh-so delectable. Any combination of ingredients that you’d use for a regular omelet can be tossed in, and you never have to worry about getting the bugger to flip properly. The other added benefit is that it’s very difficult to under cook a frittata, so the whole “runny eggs” issue simply isn’t a problem either.
For this particular dish, I decided on spinach and mushrooms, sautéed with onions and garlic. Add in some fresh Parmesan and you’ve got a simple meal in about 30 minutes that tastes heavenly and looks like you’ve slaved over it for hours, which makes it perfect to serve guests as well. This is one of those meals that you really should have in your “go to” file.
Note: The list of ingredients below looks pretty daunting, but this is probably one of the simplest recipes you’ll ever find. Feel free to substitute whatever you’ve got on hand, it’ll still be great!
- 7 eggs
- 1 10 oz package spinach (either fresh, or if you’re looking for instant gratification, a defrosted frozen spinach works just as well here.)
- Approx 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 small (8oz) packaged sliced button mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced (or 4 tsp minced garlic, if you prefer)
- 1 good handful chopped parsley (Flat leaf would work best, but I haven’t been able to find it lately)
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp sage (fresh is best, chiffenade about 5 leaves.. Again, I didn’t have any, so dry works)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 7 tbsp milk
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Sweat onions and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil until just translucent and softened. Add Mushrooms, breaking up any very large pieces. Allow to cook until well browned. Add salt, pepper and spinach. (If using fresh spinach, cook until completely wilted. If using frozen, cook until heated through.) Remove from pan and place in strainer to remove as much liquid as possible.
Wipe pan clean with paper towel, add remaining olive oil and return to heat.
In large bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add 1/2 of the cheese and all remaining ingredients, mix well. Pour mixture into skillet and allow to sit over flame until eggs begin to bubble. Place skillet in oven and cook until eggs are set (approx 20 minutes).
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the frittata and return to oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Let rest for 5 10 minutes and serve.
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
Nuffin… This was wonderful, and I’ll be pumping out other variations on the theme over time. Enjoy!
Hi! Thanks for visiting cooking by the seat of our pants!
We're sharing hundreds of our favorite recipes, kitchen tips and favorite tools, all tested by me, Jerry Russell, and my family and friends 
My name is Jerry Russell, and I'm a blogger. Since 2007 I've been writing about food and recipes at 
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Darn, first Foodie Bride and now you I really have to get around to making a frittata! I do love the anything goes ingredient list too. Beautiful picture.
Looks delicious! I’ve got frittata on the menu again this week… don’t know what I’m putting in it yet but I don’t have to decide that ’til it’s time to cook it!
Katerina,
yup, jump on the frittata bandwagon! We’ll get club pins or something!
Shawnda,
I’ll probably be making a few over the next several weeks myself. especially since finances are going to be tight this pay period. But hey, it’s good, inexpensive and it couldn’t be easier!
I love frittata. It is such a wonderful simple way to use up what is in your fridge and pantry. It is part of my regular repitoire and this exaple looks like it was delicious!
I am the frittata queen — I make frittata out of anything and everything leftover in the fridge. Pasta? roasted veggies? chicken? Sure! Spinach and mushrooms are a favorite in my kitchen, too. The secret is to be fearless, and have faith that eggs will bring anything together!
Man, it makes me really feel HUNGRY!! Looks very Yummy! Look, there are rivers flowing out of my mouth!
ohhh…that sounds (and looks) so yummy!!!
Great site; gotta add you to the blogs I frequent. (thanks for givin’ me a look-see, too, BTW)
Hey man, I love your blog and I’m always impressed. I just did a Spinach and Cheese frittata this weekend. Would love it if you come back and check it out.
http://cookingquest.wordpress.com
Thanks for this recipe and inspiration. I made this dish last weekend and it was a major hit. I made few minor changes that I’ll post soon on my blog. Thanks again!
I just happened on this web site a couple of days and now I surf it all the time! Did this frittata as my first venture into frittata land. To extend the dish to feed a family of five, I added about a half pound of ham and three more eggs. My wife hasn’t stopped raving about it and my kids gobbled it up like they hadn’t eaten in weeks. Great recipe!