Shotwell's Pasta Frittata |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes |
Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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This is one of my go-to dishes, when I want to do something relatively simple that is still a little impressive. It also makes terrific leftovers! I modeled this after my impressions of a dish served by a restaurant in Holland, Michigan called Pereddies and by a few other recipes I have seen over the years that include spaghetti, eggs and cheese. Note: You will need two skillets of approximately the same size (ideally, 9-10”) for this recipe. The first skillet you use should ideally be slightly deeper than the second, because you’ll be flipping the frittata half way through cooking and a shallow pan is more likely to drip olive oil onto your stove. Feel free to experiment with this recipe – you can leave out the herbs if you choose, add some prosciutto, pancetta, or diced ham, change the proportions of cheese or use different cheeses altogether, increase or decrease the size of the frittata dependent upon the sizes of your skillets and how much spaghetti you cook, and use either a prepared tomato-based spaghetti sauce or a homemade version of your choice. The best part of this recipe is that it doesn’t need to be exact, and you can experiment a bit. For example, a full 12 oz. box of spaghetti makes enough to create a 12” frittata, and requires a couple more eggs and some additional cheese. However, the larger the frittata you make, the harder it will be to flip. Also, serve the spaghetti sauce separately, so each person can use as much or as little as they like. This can also be served with fresh sliced tomatoes on the side, for a lighter meal or a brunch. Ingredients:
6 eggs, beaten |
4 cups cooked spaghetti (cold) |
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded |
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated |
3 tablespoons olive oil |
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1 tablespoon parsley (optional) or 1 tablespoon basil, chopped (optional) |
12 -16 ounces spaghetti sauce, prepared |
Directions:
1. Break spaghetti noodles into 2” to 3” pieces and boil in hot water with a dash of salt. Cook spaghetti noodles until just al dente or until fully cooked.
2. Remove from heat, drain in the sink with a large colander.
3. Run cold water over the spaghetti to cool it (you don’t want it to cook the eggs when you mix it all together). You could also use leftover spaghetti for this recipe as long as it is not too sticky.
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs and add 3/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the shredded or grated parmesan cheese (reserve 1/4 cup of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the parmesan).
5. Mix eggs and cheese together well.
6. Add cooled spaghetti noodles to the eggs and cheese and mix gently together with a spatula or spoon.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 9-10” skillet on medium-high heat.
8. Once the oil is hot, put approximately 1/2 of the spaghetti/egg/cheese mixture into the pan, and spread it around evenly.
9. Add the remaining cheese (1/4 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan) on top of this layer.
10. Once you have added the cheese, pour the remaining spaghetti mixture on top, and spread evenly, making sure that the frittata is not thicker than your pan. You should now have the cheese layer in between two layers of the spaghetti mixture.
11. Press down with a spatula slightly to even out the frittata.
12. Fry in the olive oil until light golden brown on the bottom. You may need to add a little more olive oil as it cooks, but be careful not to add too much or it will be overly greasy.
13. Once the frittata is light golden brown on the bottom, it’s time to flip the frittata. Be very careful as you do so, to avoid getting splattered by hot olive oil. Put one pan on top of the other, then do a quick flip by rotating both pans quickly. The goal is to have the frittata be brown-side-up and fitting nicely in the second pan, without spilling any oil. Be especially careful if you use a gas stove.
14. Now that you’ve flipped the frittata, add a little olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) around the edges, since the second pan didn’t contain any oil and you’ll need some in there to fry the second side.
15. Fry the second side to a light golden brown. Be careful not to let it get too brown, since the frittata will cook a little more even after transferring it to a platter.
16. Once it’s light golden brown on the bottom, transfer it to a platter. You may want to put some paper towel on the platter to absorb any leftover olive oil, but remove the paper towel before attempting to cut the frittata.
17. Cut the frittata (or if you've made a smaller version, serve it whole) and serve while still warm, with the spaghetti sauce on the side. It also refrigerates well and can be served warm or at room temperature if you prefer.
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