COOKED PASTA
Level 2
Pasta Frittata
Serves 4
Next time you just can’t eat a full pot of pasta, keep it for this nice frittata to serve for brunch or lunch the next day. It’s a departure from the usual pasta salad and you can beat the clock on this one too.
1 green peppers, cleaned and coarsely chopped*
1 onion, thinly sliced or 3 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups once cooked pasta, room temperature
8 eggs
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
* For a sweeter variation, substitute red for green peppers
Preferred cookware: round, oven-proof, 2 quart casserole to avoid getting those burnt overcooked corners
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter casserole, preferably round.
- Break eggs into a large bowl, adding in pepper and mustard and beat well. Blend in ½ cup cheese into egg mixture.
- In a large (10”) skillet, heat olive oil and sauté peppers, onions and garlic until soft, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to skillet, mixing well with vegetables.
- Empty contents of skillet into buttered casserole using spatula. Pat down vegetable and pasta mix.
- Add contents of bowl to casserole. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake in oven, uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until eggs are firm.
Preparation Tip: To bring cold pasta to room temperature quickly, place pasta into colander and spray with warm water from your faucet. Drain well.
Serving suggestion: Remove from oven. Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Run a sharp knife around inside edge of frittata to loosen from the pan. Place a plate or platter on top, and flip. Otherwise, slice it into wedges like a cake and using a spatula, serve. Topping frittata slices with a dollop of sour cream or pesto gives this dish real elegance. Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty baguettes for a perfect light lunch.
