Frittata is the classic recipe that will save your dinner when you have little time to cook and zero ideas. The great thing of this recipe, like a lot of other Italian recipes, is that it is very versatile. Therefore there are unlimited varieties of frittata recipe that you can prepare starting with a base of beaten eggs and then adding your favorite ingredients.
Our version includes very simple and tasty ingredients: mozzarella, prosciutto cotto (ham), pecorino cheese, parmigiano (parmesan) cheese and a few basil leaves to give it a touch of freshness.
Frittata’s recipe is very popular in Italy due to the fact that is quick to prepare and suitable in many situations: easily transportable, frittata can be the star of every picnic, it can be cut into cubes and served as a tasty appetizer, or it can be used to fill a tasty sandwich (here our version).
Method
To make the frittata recipe start with the preparation of the ingredients to add: cut the prosciutto cotto (ham) and the fresh mozzarella into 1 cm cubes. If you’re not in a hurry, place the mozzarella in a colander and let it drain off for 15 minutes the excess water that could watered-down your frittata. In a large bowl break and beat the eggs.
Then add salt, pepper to taste and season with grated Parmigiano and Pecorino cheeses (two of the most used cheese in Italian recipes). Pecorino has a strong taste so if you prefer a more delicate flavor, replace the dose of pecorino with more Parmigiano. At this point add the drained mozzarella and prosciutto cotto.
And then add the coarsely chopped basil. Mix it together in order to stir well all the ingredients. Now all you have to do is to cook your frittata. Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a pan with a diameter of 28 cm and heat up the pan for a few seconds, then pour in the frittata mixture, spreading it well all over the pan.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for 10 minutes; shake occasionally the pan slightly in order to detach it from the bottom. When the time has elapsed you are ready to flip the frittata. Remove the lid, place a large plate – it must be slightly larger than the pan or at least must have the same size but no smaller – over the pan and turn it upside down.
Please, while doing this, keep the plate and the pan firmly in place together, to avoid burns or to let the frittata falling outside. Now slide the frittata back into the pan and let it cook for another 10 minutes, over low heat but this time without any lid.
Cooking Tips
- Other perfect and delicious combinations of ingredients for your frittata are the following Italian recipes:
potatoes and onions, spinach and ricotta, mushrooms and sausage, salmon and caprino (goat cheese), spaghetti pasta’s frittata. - Always choose the right pan size for cooking: perfect for a 4 eggs frittata is a 16 cm pan, for a 6 eggs frittata a 24 cm pan and for an 8 eggs frittata a 26-28 cm pan.
- The typical Italian frittata is cooked in a pan but there are many cooking variations for a lighter, baked frittata. Here’s how to do it: line a high-sides baking pan with a parchment paper that you’ve previously wet and squeezed. Pour the egg mixture inside and cook for 40 minutes at 356°F (180° C) in a preheated oven.
Storage
Frittata recipe is very simple and quick to prepare and for this reason we suggest you to prepare it and consume it after cooked when the cheese is melted. Alternatively it can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days in the fridge.
Frittata
Print RecipeIngredients
- 8 medium eggs
- 2 cups (220 gr) of mozzarella
- 2/3 cup (100 gr) of prosciutto cotto (ham)
- 1/4 cup (25 gr) of grated Pecorino cheese
- 1/3 cup (35 gr) of grated Parmigiano (Parmesan) cheese
- 4 leaves of basil
- 7 tablespoons (10 gr) of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
Instructions
To make the frittata recipe start with the preparation of the ingredients to add: cut the prosciutto cotto (ham) and the fresh mozzarella into 1 cm cubes. If you’re not in a hurry, place the mozzarella in a colander and let it drain off for 15 minutes the excess water that could watered-down your frittata. In a large bowl break and beat the eggs, then add salt, pepper to taste and season with grated parmigiano and pecorino cheeses. Pecorino has a strong taste so if you prefer a more delicate flavor, replace the dose of pecorino with more Parmigiano. At this point add the drained mozzarella and prosciutto cotto, and then add the coarsely chopped basil. Mix it together in order to stir well all the ingredients. Now all you have to do is to cook your frittata: pour the extra virgin olive oil into a pan with a diameter of 28 cm and heat up the pan for a few seconds, then pour in the frittata mixture, spreading it well all over the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for 10 minutes; shake occasionally the pan slightly in order to detach it from the bottom. When the time has elapsed you are ready to flip the frittata: remove the lid, place a large plate – it must be slightly larger than the pan or at least must have the same size but no smaller – over the pan and turn it upside down; please, while doing this, keep the plate and the pan firmly in place together, to avoid burns or to let the frittata falling outside. Now slide the frittata back into the pan and let it cook for another 10 minutes, over low heat but this time without any lid.
