Pasta Frittata Magic.
Have I got a simple and flavorful Mediterranean inspired gluten-free pasta frittata recipe for you. It is perfect for the upcoming weekend. Throw it together for a lazy brunch, or a backyard picnic. But first, a logistical update.
Notes from long ago and not so far away… From the archives::
We are back from LA, safe and as sound as two people can be jetting from the oxygen saturated beach of Santa Monica to the rarefied (read- bone dry nosebleed inducing) air of Northern New Mexico. My “of a certain age” skin is not decidedly not happy. My razor textured Floyd’s cut now looks like a highlighted squirrel on a tequila fueled bender. And to add insult to follicle injury, there’s a technical snafu that despite daily phone calls, shameless begging and patient (I assure you) correction of our physical street address (corrected three times by three different customer service representatives eager to assist you). That’s right.
No Internet.
Nada. We’re trying- one more time- shooting for a Tuesday hook-up. But our hopes are tempered by frustration, to be honest. We are no longer giddy with Windstream anticipation. In fact, we no longer assume we will ever be surfing cyberspace from our casita again. We are looking at each other and sighing. Twiddling our collective thumbs. Craving California sushi. We are driving south to Santa Fe to check e-mail at The Travel Bug bookstore. In fact, I am writing to you this morning sitting among Texan tourists pawing fold-out maps and discussing day trips to the Anasazi ruins to a soundtrack of Native American Flute Music
To be totally blunt, in the thick of all this quintessential New Mexican Mañana, I have lost my cooking mojo. I am crunching through a bag of chips and jarred salsa and calling it supper. I am looking at my martini and considering its three olives a proper food group. And therefore, dinner.
But if I did cook?
I’d whip up this perfectly simple frittata recipe from the archives and call it brunch.
Peace, Love + Chile,
Italian Pasta Frittata Recipe
Recipe by Karina Allrich 8/2009
With leftover gluten-free spaghetti, there’s only one fabulous thing to do. Whip up a quick and easy frittata. As luck would have it, we had some Portobello mushrooms, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and bell peppers.
Ingredients:
Leftover cooked gluten-free spaghetti – about a cup and a half to 2 cups
4 oz goat cheese, or other soft or shredded cheese
2 large portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 green or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, sliced thin
A goodly splash of balsamic vinegar
8 sun-dried tomatoes- soaked, drained, chopped
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
Sea Salt and ground pepper
5 large organic free-range eggs
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Red chile flakes, or dried basil and oregano, to taste
1-2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Arrange the cooked spaghetti in the bottom of a 9-inch greased pie plate. Scatter pieces of the goat cheese all over the pasta.
In a medium skillet saute the mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-high heat, till softened. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. When the veggies are tender, remove from heat and stir in the olives.
In the meantime, whisk the eggs with the sour cream till smooth and frothy. Season to taste with spices and herbs.
Add the cooked veggies to the pasta and goat cheese; arrange evenly over the top.
Pour the egg mixture all over the pasta and veggies; and using a fork, shimmy the pasta a bit to allow the egg mixture to seep in and around. Sprinkle with extra red pepper flakes, basil, or your favorite seasoning. Sprinkle with the shredded Parmesan cheese.
Bake in a hot oven on a center rack for 35 minutes or so – until the frittata is set and golden brown. Use a thin knife to check the center for doneness, if you like.
Allow the frittata to cool for ten minutes before serving (this makes it much easier to slice). It’s also good cold, if you feel like making an easy dish for a romantic picnic.
Makes 4 hearty servings. Serves 6 as a side dish.
