This style of frittata comes from the southern Italian region of Puglia. It’s notable not only for being a wonderful asparagus dish, but also for incorporating bread into the egg mix. As we all know, bread make everything better, including frittate!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make an asparagus frittata here:
FRITTATA DI ASPARAGI RECIPE
Makes: 6-8 servings
Cook Time: 45 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
12 oz. (340g) asparagus, trimmed
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the dish
Salt
3.5 oz. (100g) homemade bread, crust removed (this is a great way to use bread that’s going stale)
1.75 oz. (50g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1.75 oz. (50g) grated pecorino Romano cheese
6 large eggs
Fresh black pepper
Skillet
Mixing bowls
Spatula or spoon
Whisk or fork
Basting brush
9-inch pie dish, or similar
Prep the asparagus by first cutting the head off and setting them aside. Chop the stems into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium/high. Add the chopped asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the asparagus heads and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for later.
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (205 C).
Place the bread in a bowl and fill with water to submerge. Let the bread soak for just a minute, then drain it and squeeze all the excess moisture out. Tear the damp bread into small pieces and place into a dry mixing bowl, along with the asparagus and grated cheeses. Mix together with a spatula.
Separately, whisk the eggs with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Thoroughly stir the eggs into the bread/asparagus mixture.
Brush a 9-inch pie dish with olive oil and pour the frittata mix in. Flatten the top with a spatula. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Serve warm or cold.
Buon appetito!
Want to try more Italian egg dishes? This “Uova in Purgatorio” recipe is delicious, quick and easy to make!