Asparagus Frittata aka Frittata di Asparagi

Posted on May 8, 2011 at 8:07pm

My friend Amanda and I headed to the Phoenixville farmer's market for their opening day last weekend.  We both purchased some locally grown asparagus - mine was slated for a Mother's Day brunch frittata using the farm fresh eggs I had on hand.

A frittata is an Italian omelet, to which you can add herbs, veggies, cheeses or meats.  It is  a great way to use up odds and ends of whatever you may have in your produce or cheese drawer, going from rustic to elegant quite easily. With some good crusty bread and a fresh salad alongside, you have the makings of a quick and easy meal that is wholesome and satisfying.

This is a simple recipe with few steps – try to choose asparagus spears of similar thickness for even cooking. You can allow one to two eggs per person depending on appetite and adjust your serving size accordingly. This can be cut into small squares for appetizers or into larger wedges for entree portions.

Frittata di Asparagi

1 teaspoon of good olive oil

1 teaspoon of butter

1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced or 1 leek, rinsed well, white part cut in half lenghtwise and thinly sliced

Sea salt

1 bunch fresh asparagus (about a pound), tough ends snapped off, cut into bite-size pieces on the diagonal

 6 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup grated parmigiana cheese

Preheat broiler.

Heat olive oil and butter in a 12-inch oven-proof sauté pan set over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add onions or leek and about a ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 3–5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add asparagus to pan. Cover pan and cook until barely tender, about 6-8 minutes. Settle asparagus and onions in pan into an even layer and pour eggs over. Cook until eggs begin to set but top is still a bit runny, about 2-4 minutes.

Sprinkle top with parmigiana and put pan under broiler to set the top and allow the cheese to turn a beautiful light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Your frittata will puff slightly as well. Carefully remove pan, slide frittata out onto serving dish and cut into wedges or squares to serve.