Chef Graziella
Crespelle ai Funghi Trifolati
Delicate Italian crepes wrapped around mushrooms sautéed in the trifolati manner, where olive oil, a breath of garlic, and fresh parsley create something far greater than the sum of their parts.
Culinary Explorer
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Frittata Rognosa con Salsiccia
Created by
A rustic egg dish from Piedmont where crumbled sausage creates the rough, 'mangy' surface that gives this frittata its unflattering name and its honest character.
Breakfast & Brunch
Italian
Weeknight
Comfort Food
10 min
Active Time
20 min cook•30 min total
Yield4 servings
Frittata rognosa translates to 'mangy frittata,' and you must understand that this is not an insult. The name describes the rough, pockmarked surface created when sausage meat is broken into pieces and cooked into the eggs. It looks imperfect. It looks like something a farmer's wife made before dawn. This is precisely the point.
In Piedmont, where this dish originates, cooks do not fuss over smooth surfaces or restaurant presentations. They break sausage into the pan, let it render its fat, and pour beaten eggs over the top. The result is uneven, craggy, and deeply satisfying. The sausage fat flavors the eggs. The cheese melts into pockets. The bottom crisps while the top remains just set.
Americans have a tendency to overcomplicate frittatas with seven vegetables, three cheeses, and herbs from every continent. This is not Italian cooking. A proper frittata needs eggs, one substantial ingredient, perhaps some cheese. The sausage here does the work. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.
Frittata rognosa belongs to the cucina povera tradition of Piedmont, where farm families stretched a few eggs with whatever meat was at hand. The name 'rognosa,' meaning scabby or mangy, dates to at least the 19th century, when rural cooks embraced rather than apologized for the dish's rough appearance. It remains a fixture of Piedmontese home cooking, rarely seen in restaurants precisely because it cannot be made precious.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Italian pork sausage
Quantity
8 ounces
casings removed
large eggs
Quantity
8
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Quantity
3 tablespoons
freshly grated
whole milk
Quantity
2 tablespoons
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
unsalted butter
Quantity
1 tablespoon
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Italian pork sausagecasings removed | 8 ounces |
| large eggs | 8 |
| Parmigiano-Reggianofreshly grated | 3 tablespoons |
| whole milk | 2 tablespoons |
| fine sea salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| unsalted butter | 1 tablespoon |
| extra virgin olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •10-inch ovenproof skillet, cast iron or nonstick
- •Wooden spoon for breaking sausage
- •Flexible spatula
Instructions
- 1
Render the sausage
Place a 10-inch skillet, preferably cast iron or nonstick with an ovenproof handle, over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it into rough, uneven pieces with a wooden spoon. Do not make the pieces too small. You want chunks the size of your thumbnail, some larger, some smaller. Cook until the fat renders and the meat browns in spots, about 8 minutes. The irregular pieces create the 'rognosa' texture that gives this frittata its name.
Seek out Italian sausage with fennel and black pepper, the style common in Northern Italy. Avoid sausage with excessive red pepper flakes, which belongs to the South. - 2
Beat the eggs
While the sausage cooks, crack the eggs into a bowl. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, milk, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Beat with a fork until the yolks and whites are combined but not homogeneous. You should still see streaks. Overbeating makes the eggs tough.
- 3
Add butter and oil
When the sausage has rendered and browned, add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Swirl to coat the bottom and sides as the butter melts. The combination of sausage fat, butter, and olive oil creates the flavor foundation. Let this heat for 30 seconds until the butter foam subsides.
- 4
Pour the eggs
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the beaten eggs over the sausage. Do not stir. Use a spatula to gently lift the edges as the eggs begin to set, tilting the pan to let uncooked egg flow underneath. Do this for the first two minutes only. Then leave the frittata alone. Patience is required.
The bottom should cook slowly. If you hear aggressive sizzling, your heat is too high. A frittata is not a scramble. It requires restraint. - 5
Finish under the broiler
When the eggs are set around the edges but still wet on top, about 6 minutes, place the skillet under a preheated broiler set to high. Position the rack about 6 inches from the heat. Broil until the top is set and golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully. The difference between golden and burnt is 30 seconds.
- 6
Rest and serve
Remove the skillet from the broiler. Let the frittata rest in the pan for 3 minutes. This allows the eggs to finish cooking from residual heat and makes unmolding easier. Slide onto a cutting board or serve directly from the pan, cut into wedges. It is excellent warm, good at room temperature, and acceptable cold the next morning.
Chef Tips
- •The quality of your sausage determines the quality of your frittata. Find a butcher who makes Italian sausage properly, with pork shoulder and back fat. The supermarket tubes wrapped in plastic are a pale imitation.
- •Do not add cream to your eggs. Italians do not put cream in frittatas. The milk here is restrained, just enough to tenderize. Cream makes eggs rubbery.
- •A frittata is not a French omelet. It should be firm enough to slice, not custardy in the center. If the top jiggles like the sea when you remove it from the broiler, give it another minute.
- •Leftovers make an excellent sandwich. Place a wedge between slices of crusty bread. The Piedmontese eat this for merenda, the late afternoon snack that sustains you until dinner.
Advance Preparation
- •The frittata can be made several hours ahead and served at room temperature. In Italy, this is often preferred to hot.
- •Refrigerate leftovers for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before eating, or accept it cold. Do not microwave a frittata. The texture becomes spongy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 160g)
Calories
425 calories
Total Fat
36 g
Saturated Fat
14 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
20 g
Cholesterol
430 mg
Sodium
840 mg
Total Carbohydrates
2 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
23 g
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