Thursday, November 6, 2008

Spinach Zucchini Ricotta Frittata

Ok, this is a little late in the season, but seeing as how Tim hates anything pumpkin or fall spices, I haven't been doing much seasonal cooking & baking around here. Well, that's a lie. We've tried a few winter squash recipes, but they were very simplistic & really not worth mentioning. Squash is still growing on us...give us time...or suggestions! :)

With the last of the zucchini from the farmers market (besides the 14 bags I froze) I decided to make this delicious looking dish from Simply Recipes. As I mentioned, squash is still growing on us, & Tim is usually reluctant to eat recipes with zucchini...but he loved it! The zucchini tasted amazing having been fried before mixing it into the frittata. It's also relatively easy to make, so it's a win on all sides!


Spinach Zucchini Ricotta Frittata
adapted from Simply Recipes

6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small zucchini, or one larger one, washed and sliced into thin rounds (about 3/4 pound)
2 cups fresh spinach

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and Parmesan and beat to combine. Add the salt, freshly ground black pepper, basil and thyme and beat to combine. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch oven-proof stick-free skillet on medium high. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add the zucchini slices. Stir so that the zucchini slices are all coated with some of the oil. Cook, stirring only occasionally (if you stir too much the zucchini won't brown), until the zucchini slices are lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add spinach and heat for another minute or so. Remove from heat. Remove zucchini slices and spinach from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let cool for 30 seconds or so, and then stir the zucchini slices and zucchini into the egg mixture.

Reheat the skillet. There should be a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the pan, if not, add some. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Do not stir it. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the egg mixture cook. Run a spatula along the edge of the frittata, separating the cooked edges from the pan. Let the egg mixture cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is beginning to set, about 5-6 minutes.

Set the top rack 5 inches from the heating element in the oven. Preheat the oven broiler. Once the top of the frittata has started to set in the pan on the stove top, remove the pan from the stove and place it in the oven. With the broiler on, the door of the oven needs to be open. You can let the pan's handle stick out from the oven through the open door. Cook under the broiler until the top starts to become lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

*Alternatively, instead of using the broiler, you can place a plate face-down on top of the skillet. Flip the skillet over to release the frittata on to the plate. Then slide the frittata from the plate back on to the skillet. Let cook for a couple of minutes more until the bottom side gets browned.

Slide the frittata out of the skillet onto a serving plate. Let cool for a minute or two and serve.

Serves 2-3.

*I used the broiler method...worked for me!

Since it's no longer zucchini season, I bet this dish would work well with just spinach. Not that spinach is really in season either, but much easier to come by in the winter...

3 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

So colorful!!

Anonymous said...

Ricotta is the in thing to use ;)
The frittata looks delicious, and it's healthy too with all the green veggies.

eatme_delicious said...

Yummmmmm this looks really good!

I'm happy to hear you liked the middle eastern chickpea soup! =)