Spring recipes are tastiest with local, seasonal veggies, and some of the best include now in-season asparagus! Sharing our simple Asparagus Frittata Recipe today!
With Italian roots, Sundays were always a day filled with slow, savoury cooking and enjoying time with loved ones. Whether it was watching my Nonna cook up her Sunday lunch specials with love, or my Dad make breakfast/lunch with local ingredients he picked up with Mom at farmers markets, my love of cooking for our own little crew was definitely inspired by watching them work their magic in the kitchen.
Dad often made the egg-based Italian dish “Frittata” (roughly translates to “fried”) – similar to an omelette or crustless quiche filled with added ingredients like meats, cheeses or vegetables. It’s simple, and a fabulous way to make a meal for a family all in one dish with your favourite fixings. Cooked mainly in a basic skillet (no fancy kitchen aids required!), frittatas are finished in the oven, giving the dish its puffy texture and slightly golden top.
After a beautiful day enjoying the tastes of Niagara-on-the-Lake with Mom last week, we popped into the local market on the way home and picked up some locally grown veggies, including asparagus. I gave a peek of our Asparagus Frittata cook-up last weekend on IG stories and lots of you asked for the recipe, so I’m posting a printable version for you to try out here.
Simple Asparagus Frittata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter or cooking oil
- 6 large eggs
- 4 shallots *sliced
- 1 lb fresh asparagus bunch *thinner spears better for this recipe*
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese *use reduced fat version to lighten up*
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp fresh chives *snip with scissors into small pieces*
- 1 pinch onion powder
- 1 cup Italian blend or Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat butter/oil on medium heat in small, oven-proof skillet. Add sliced shallots & sautee until they turn translucent (approx. 2 mins). Add asparagus & cook additional 2-3 mins.
- Beat eggs, ricotta cheese & salt together, then add snipped chives (*stir*)
- Pour egg mixture into skillet & let cook on medium until almost set, but still runny on top (about 5 mins). Meanwhile, preheat oven on Broil.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the egg mix and place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown (6-8 mins).
- Very carefully remove skillet from the oven with mitts. Let frittata sit about 5 mins to set then slice into wedges (we got six slices out of ours, but make smaller/bigger based on your crowd). Garnish with chopped chives & serve on it's own, or pair with bread and/or a Spring salad for a complete meal. Buon appetito!
If you want to add more protein to your frittata, Italians would likely pair this with pancetta. Sub in any of your family’s favourite seasonal veggies instead of asparagus to make your own creation (spinach, artichoke, mushrooms, leeks & spring onions taste great in this recipe also!).
Buon appetito from La Cucina di Kerrs!
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