From time to time I realize we have lots of odds and ends in our refrigerator and need a fancy way to jazz them up for my family.
Case in point--in the last week we’ve had homemade pizza, a pasta dish, and broccoli as a side dish so in the refrigerator there were marinated artichokes hearts, cooked plain whole wheat spaghetti, some prosciutto, sautéed squash, steamed broccoli and fresh spinach.
Whenever I find such a hodge podge of food lingering in our fridge, I think of my family’s favorite way to enjoy leftovers: a frittata.
My whole family loves eggs, so frittatas allow us to combine our leftovers in a way that will get a happy response at dinner time, rather than a fork-poking and a resigned “is this our dinner?”
"Way Better Than Leftovers" Frittata
8 eggs
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cooked pasta
1 ½ cups cooked vegetables (broccoli, steamed spinach, squash, mushrooms, peppers, etc)
1/2 cup chopped prosciutto, bacon, ham or other protein (optional, may be omitted for a vegetarian frittata)
¼ - ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
In a bowl, wisk the eggs, salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven’s broiler.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, turning pan to allow full coverage on the bottom. Once the skillet is warm and fully coated, add the egg mixture. Quickly add the pasta and vegetables*, pressing lightly with a spatula to ensure they are fully coated in egg. Sprinkle top with the cheese.
Cook for 5-6 minutes on top of the stove. Place under the broiler until the top is brown slightly and the egg is fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
Serves 4.
I fully intended to take a picture of the finished product, but the boys were hungry and we devoured it as soon as it came out of the oven. Right as I was about to finish my piece, I remembered I had not taken a picture, so this is what I was able to muster:
*In our family, we like to special order which vegetables we add to each quadrant of the frittata, much like a customized pizza, so each family member gets a wedge of their favorite.
SPC
Whenever I find such a hodge podge of food lingering in our fridge, I think of my family’s favorite way to enjoy leftovers: a frittata.
My whole family loves eggs, so frittatas allow us to combine our leftovers in a way that will get a happy response at dinner time, rather than a fork-poking and a resigned “is this our dinner?”
"Way Better Than Leftovers" Frittata
8 eggs
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cooked pasta
1 ½ cups cooked vegetables (broccoli, steamed spinach, squash, mushrooms, peppers, etc)
1/2 cup chopped prosciutto, bacon, ham or other protein (optional, may be omitted for a vegetarian frittata)
¼ - ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
In a bowl, wisk the eggs, salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven’s broiler.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, turning pan to allow full coverage on the bottom. Once the skillet is warm and fully coated, add the egg mixture. Quickly add the pasta and vegetables*, pressing lightly with a spatula to ensure they are fully coated in egg. Sprinkle top with the cheese.
Cook for 5-6 minutes on top of the stove. Place under the broiler until the top is brown slightly and the egg is fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
Serves 4.
I fully intended to take a picture of the finished product, but the boys were hungry and we devoured it as soon as it came out of the oven. Right as I was about to finish my piece, I remembered I had not taken a picture, so this is what I was able to muster:
*In our family, we like to special order which vegetables we add to each quadrant of the frittata, much like a customized pizza, so each family member gets a wedge of their favorite.
SPC