One of the easiest and most versatile recipes is the much-loved frittata. This Mediterranean Diet recipe is simple and healthy. An egg-based dish, it can be made fancy with all different vegetables, herbs, cheeses and meats. It takes little time to prepare, and cooks quickly. It’s the perfect dish for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. It’s easy to scale up or down according to how many people are eating it. It also matches well with any side dish.
Asparagus and Tomato Frittata
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 onion, minced
- 8 oz asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp Italian herb mix (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to Broil. Sautee the onion and asparagus in one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in an 8-inch cast iron pan until both have softened, about 5 minutes. Mix beaten eggs with herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Flatten the vegetables along the bottom of the pan. Lower heat to medium low. Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables. Slowly pour the egg mixture evenly over the vegetables. The vegetables will be mostly covered by the eggs. Arrange the cherry tomato halves evenly around the frittata. Cover the frittata with the parmesan cheese. Cook the frittata on the stove until the edges and bottom are cooked (but not browned), and the top is still a little runny. Put the pan under the broiler and watch carefully as the top of the frittata finishes cooking and begins to brown (2-3 minutes). Don’t overcook. Remove from the oven and let cool. Use a spatula to loosen from the pan. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
This recipe lends itself to many other vegetables. Broccoli, greens, and zucchini all work well with this recipe. Feta cheese or goat cheese are tasty substitutes for parmesan. Different herbs lend different flavors. Adding a small amount shrimp or sausage creates additional flavor.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a pie plate instead. Oil the pie plate first. Sautee the vegetables, then transfer to the pie plate before completing the rest of the recipe.
