Asparagus Frittata

Asparagus Frittata made for an easy and really pretty pillow of eggs and vegetables for my Mother's Day brunch. Sprout Sara came out of Boston for the afternoon, bearing a beautiful Austrian Rose wine and beauty products for her Mom. After cups of hot coffee and chatter over making frittata and crusty toast, we sat for a late breakfast and chatted it up. So relaxing! Thanks Sara for making my day!



So ... this frittata is a cinch to make. It, like any omelette is a real 'clean out the fridge' dish. Although the recipe may call for specific cheeses and vegetables, you can make a frittata your own by playing with your individual taste in vegetable and cheese combinations. The key is to have a bit of olive oil/veg sauté in the non-stick pan that is not too hot, as the eggs cook so fast when they're poured over top. The frittata is 'set' in that oil vegetable combination and then finished under the broiler to your preferred golden crust. A final sprinkle of chopped scallions or other herbs and you're good to go. This frittata is also absolutely killer if it is served with a smooth fonduta sauce drizzled sparingly over it. We opted out of the fonduta because we were upping the calories with that side of sausage patties.

Here's the recipe ...

Asparagus Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 spears asparagus, tough stems snapped, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 tbsp. olive oil

6 eggs

1/2 c. Cotija cheese, coarsely grated

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 medium purple onion, small dice

3 scallions, cut to thin coins, set aside for garnish

Preparing the Dish:

1. Boil some water in a small saucepan and blanch the prepped asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside on paper towels to dry up a bit.

2. Preheat the broiler on a low setting and set the oven rack four to six inches from the broiler element.

3. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add half the cheese, salt and black pepper. Whisk to combine.

4. Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and prepped onion. Sauté until softened and aromatic. 

5. Pour the egg mixture over the onions and then sprinkle the asparagus on the eggs, distributing evenly.

6. Let the eggs set up around the edges of the pan without disturbing them at all. This takes about one minute or so. Use a silicon spatula to gently run around the edge of the frittata and gently lift the edges a bit to judge the level of browning. Not too much!

7. Remove from the pan from the stove heat, sprinkle on the other half of the Cotija cheese and place under the broiler to finish to a puffed light golden brown. Watch carefully, it will brown quickly.

8. Remove and sprinkle with the scallions. use the silicon spatula to slide the frittata to a pretty platter.

9. Serve in wedges - alone or with a warm fonduta sauce.