Asparagus and cheese frittata: Recipe for perfect Italian breakfast
How to cook an asparagus and cheese frittata (illustration: Freepik)
Frittata is an Italian dish similar to a traditional omelet but differs in its cooking method. Unlike an omelet, a frittata is cooked not only on the stovetop but also in the oven, resulting in a thicker, crustier dish.
The culinary website Shuba explains how to prepare a frittata with asparagus.
What you need for a frittata
To prepare this Italian breakfast, you will need the following ingredients:
- 5 eggs;
- 40g bacon;
- 70g hard cheese;
- 1 bunch of asparagus (or 5-7 tbsp frozen);
- 2 tbsp milk (2.5% fat is preferred);
- 1 tbsp oil;
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest;
- pepper, to taste;
- salt, to taste.
How to prepare the frittata
It's best to cook the frittata in cookware that can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven. However, if you don't have such cookware, it's better to cook the frittata in the oven in a small baking dish.
Rinse the asparagus, and cut it into pieces 1-1.5 cm long. If the asparagus is frozen, there's no need to rinse it. Grate the cheese and lemon zest.
Cut the bacon into large pieces. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit), placing the rack in the upper part.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the cheese, milk, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
If you have a versatile pan that can be used as a baking dish, use it first as a pan - heat it with oil, and add the asparagus and bacon. Cook the asparagus until crispy.
If you're using frozen asparagus, sauté it first, then add the bacon.
If you have separate pan and baking dish, you can do this step, as well as the following ones, directly using the baking dish and the oven.
Reduce the heat to low and pour the egg mixture into the pan. Gently stir to evenly distribute the filling.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 9 minutes on low heat. The egg mixture should set on the bottom but not brown.
After that, sprinkle cheese over the frittata and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for about a minute until lightly browned.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes until the dish reaches room temperature - and breakfast is ready.
By the way, we previously wrote about how to make a casserole with canned apricots.
