Top | Vegetarian Main Dishes

Zucchini Frittata

(recipe, Carrie Floyd)


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Introduction

This is a favorite summer-into-fall supper when zucchini and basil are plentiful and it's too hot to spend much time in the kitchen. Serve with a simple green salad spiked with ripe tomatoes; fresh bread; and a chilled rosé or white wine. Leftover zucchini frittata makes a yummy lunch sandwiched between halves of buttered baguette. And, of course, zucchini frittata is splendid for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

  1. 5 eggs, preferably organic
  2. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  3. 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  4. ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onion or diced shallot (or yellow onion)
  5. 2 medium or 3 small green or yellow zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch-thick half moons
  6. ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  7. ¼ cup diced smoked ham (optional)
  8. ⅓ cup cheese of your choice; I like either crumbled goat cheese or a mixture of sliced mozzarella and grated Parmesan
  9. Freshly ground black pepper

Steps

  1. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk the eggs until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened, then add the sliced zucchini. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the zucchini is soft and beginning to brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss in the ¼ cup chopped basil and, if you'd like, the diced ham.
  3. Preheat the broiler. Pour the eggs over the cooked zucchini in the pan. Once the bottom and edges of the egg have set, place the pan under the broiler; keep an eye on it, as the top of the egg mixture will be cooked in about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the oven, cover the egg surface with the remaining chopped basil and cheese, and return to the broiler to melt the cheese.
  4. Grind fresh black pepper over the frittata, and serve immediately, sliced into wedges.