Vegetable Frittata

A frittata is the Italian version of an omelet. It's a wonderful dish, especially when you are not in the mood to cook. Our friend, Kay, happens to be the best frittata chef I've ever met. She actually took a cooking class in Italy where she learned to turn out a mean vegetable frittata. Here is her recipe (as I remember it) and some pictures of the last time I made a frittata with Kay.

1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 med (or 2 small) potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced thin (1/4" thick)
1/2 med zuchini, quartered and sliced thin
1 small red pepper, cored and thinly sliced
handful of mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
6 large eggs
salt/pepper
couple of large handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese
50 g./2 oz. unsalted butter

Saute the shallot and potato in a saute pan with olive oil on medium heat until the potatoes are tender but not too brown, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Heat another splash of olive oil over medium heat in the saute pan and saute the zuchini, red pepper, and mushrooms until lightly browned and softened (roughly 10 minutes). Set aside on a plate.



Beat eggs with a whisk until just mixed. Season eggs with salt, pepper, and a handful of parmesan cheese. Add the sauteed vegetables to the egg mixture. Melt the butter in a large non-stick saute pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and let the eggs cook gently for 15 minutes, undisturbed. Heat the broiler in your oven.


After 15 minutes, the top of your eggs may need a few minutes under the broiler to set (but do not brown). Gently free the frittata from the pan using a palette knife or large spatula. Place a large plate over the frittata and flip it out of the pan onto the plate. Top the frittata with another handful of parmesan cheese.