I need to be careful about the things I promise. I promised a frittata using the left over potatoes and mushrooms from this dish.
I have made at least one hundred picture perfect frittatas. I have been scrambling eggs since I was seven. But, today for the first time ever, my frittata was a disaster. It stuck to the pan, when I tried to turn it over. And, the more I tried to fix it, the worse it became. Shock and panic.
If I show you, how to make a frittata and this happens to you, you will never do it again. I almost threw 8 eggs into the trash. But, I’m too practical and I wanted those potatoes with eggs. So I thought, maybe I can still save this mess. I’ll change pans and add two more eggs. Maybe, I’ll find a bigger pan, or maybe a smaller pan. I can make it work.
Three pans later, and a stove full of eggs, I was able to piece it back together, and, while not my typical beautiful frittata, it was good enough that I ate it for lunch and again for dinner. It was just not good enough to photograph. So I will show you another frittata I made and give you that recipe.
I tell you this because frittatas are a beautiful thing, eaten best at room temperature, and cut into wedges, to be enjoyed as an entree, a side dish, or inside crusty bread.
My family has made frittata for generations with an unwritten rule to only serve it for lunch or dinner, but never breakfast, although in Italy one hotel in Tuscany did serve frittata for breakfast, and I remember being the guest who ate the most of it because it made me feel more at home.
Frittatas make fantastic use of your farmer’s market’s seasonal produce, which is exactly how I arrived at this recipe for yellow zucchini and yellow wax peppers. Yellow squash is sweet and goes very well with a little bit of hot pepper.
I remember calling my mom and saying, “come for lunch, I just got back from the market and I’m making a frittata.” She came right over and I think for her, too, it’s a feel good traditional family recipe. Her next question, of course, was “do you have bread? and then, “are you making a salad?”
This is the reason I love being Italian. Even the most casual on the fly lunch turns into an event.
Note: You can follow the same directions here and use the potatoes from this recipe, or any other filling you like.
Remember, if you mess it up, don’t give up. You may still be able to save it, and it’s a dish worth learning to make the old fashioned way, on top of the stove.
Recipe for Frittata with Yellow Squash, Yellow Peppers
Ingredients
- 8 eggs beaten, with a little water added
- 2 cups yellow squash thinly sliced (or 1 large)
- 1 yellow wax pepper (be careful, it’s HOT) you might want to wear gloves
- olive oil
- sea salt, black pepper
- 10” non-stick frying pan
Instructions
- Thinly slice squash. Seed, peel and finely chop peppers. These are hot. There are yellow peppers that are not hot, but these are and you don’t want to accidently rub your eyes.
- Saute peppers and squash together in a little olive oil. Beat 8 eggs with a splash of water, salt and pepper. Make sure there is plenty of oil in the pan. Add eggs.
- Here’s the tricky part. Just keep allowing the egg mixture to run underneath the frittata. You will keep going all around the pan, until there is not much liquid left and the eggs are set and ready to turn over.
- Using thick pot holders, place a plate over the pan. If you have a plastic plate, it might be easier to turn over. This part of frittata making can be daunting, and if you don’t have the “look” you want, turn it over again. The frittata usually just has a way of coming out beautiful. As a staple dish of my kitchen, it’s worth a little practice.
- Cut in wedges. but wait for at least 20 minutes. Frittata is best served at room temperature. I usually make this 1 or 2 hours ahead.
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