Chef Dean
Mushroom and Gruyère Frittata
Golden-topped frittata packed with earthy sautéed mushrooms and pools of melted Gruyère, served in proud wedges that travel from oven to table with equal grace at breakfast or midnight supper.
Culinary Explorer
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Garden Vegetable Frittata
Created by
A simple Italian egg dish that celebrates whatever the market offers, cooked gently on the stovetop, finished under the broiler, and served in golden wedges that taste like the garden itself.
Breakfast & Brunch
Italian
Weeknight
Make Ahead
Potluck
20 min
Active Time
25 min cook•45 min total
Yield6 servings
Walk through any farmers market and let the vegetables choose themselves. A handful of tender zucchini. Peppers still warm from the morning sun. Cherry tomatoes that perfume your hands when you pick them up. Whatever has that aliveness, that sense of having been pulled from the earth hours ago, belongs in this pan.
The frittata is the most forgiving of egg dishes. It asks almost nothing of you except restraint. Cook the vegetables until they soften but keep their character. Pour in the eggs. Let things set slowly. The Italians understand that eggs cooked gently taste of themselves, rich and custard-like, while eggs cooked hard taste of rubber.
This is the kind of food I believe in. Simple technique in service of good ingredients. A dish that feeds a table of six as easily as a Tuesday breakfast for one. Your choices shape the food system. When you buy those vegetables from a farmer who grew them with care, you are voting for a world where that farm survives.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
large eggs
Quantity
10
at room temperature
whole milk or cream
Quantity
1/4 cup
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons, divided
yellow onion
Quantity
1 small
thinly sliced
seasonal vegetables
Quantity
2 cups
cut into bite-sized pieces
garlic
Quantity
2 cloves
thinly sliced
fresh herbs
Quantity
1/4 cup
roughly chopped
fresh goat cheese or feta
Quantity
1/2 cup
crumbled
Parmesan
Quantity
2 tablespoons
freshly grated
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large eggsat room temperature | 10 |
| whole milk or cream | 1/4 cup |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons, divided |
| yellow onionthinly sliced | 1 small |
| seasonal vegetablescut into bite-sized pieces | 2 cups |
| garlicthinly sliced | 2 cloves |
| fresh herbsroughly chopped | 1/4 cup |
| fresh goat cheese or fetacrumbled | 1/2 cup |
| Parmesanfreshly grated | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal)
- •Rubber spatula
- •Broiler-safe oven or separate broiler
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the eggs
Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the milk, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Whisk until the yolks and whites are just combined, with a few streaks remaining. You are not making a souffle. Over-beating creates a rubbery texture. Set the bowl aside.
Room temperature eggs cook more evenly. Take them out of the refrigerator thirty minutes before you begin. - 2
Cook the aromatics
Set a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and let it warm until it shimmers. Add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and turns translucent, about five minutes. The edges may catch a bit of color. That is welcome.
- 3
Add seasonal vegetables
Add your market vegetables to the pan. If using firm vegetables like zucchini or peppers, cook for four to five minutes until they soften but keep some texture. Tender greens need only a minute. Add the garlic in the last thirty seconds, stirring until fragrant. Season lightly with salt. Taste. The vegetables should be seasoned before the eggs go in.
Cook vegetables in stages if you have a mix. Firm ones first, tender ones last. Everything should reach the finish line together. - 4
Arrange and pour
Position your broiler rack about six inches from the heat source and turn on the broiler. Spread the vegetables evenly across the pan. Scatter half the fresh herbs over them. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and let it coat the pan as it melts into the vegetables. Pour in the egg mixture. Do not stir.
- 5
Cook on stovetop
Let the frittata cook undisturbed for two minutes. Then, using a rubber spatula, gently push the edges toward the center while tilting the pan to let raw egg flow underneath. Do this two or three times over the next five minutes. The bottom should set while the top remains wet and glossy.
- 6
Add cheese and finish
When the edges are firm but the center still jiggles, scatter the goat cheese and Parmesan over the top. Transfer the skillet to the broiler. Watch closely. The frittata is done when the top puffs slightly, the cheese softens, and the center is just set, two to four minutes. It should not brown deeply. A few golden spots are fine.
- 7
Rest and serve
Remove from the broiler and let the frittata rest in the pan for five minutes. It will continue cooking gently and pull away from the sides. Scatter the remaining fresh herbs over the top. Slide onto a cutting board or serve directly from the skillet, cut into wedges. Good warm, good at room temperature, good the next day.
The handle will be extremely hot. Wrap a kitchen towel around it as a reminder until it cools.
Chef Tips
- •Buy eggs from a farmer you know, or at least from hens that lived outdoors. The yolks should be deep orange, almost sunset-colored. They will taste of what the hens ate.
- •The best frittata vegetables are whatever looks most alive at the market. In summer, zucchini and tomatoes. In spring, asparagus and peas. In winter, roasted root vegetables or hearty greens work beautifully.
- •A frittata at room temperature is not a compromise. In Italy, it is often served this way, tucked between bread for a portable meal. Let it cool completely and slice for a picnic.
- •If your skillet is not truly oven-safe, cook the frittata entirely on the stovetop over low heat, covered, until the top just sets. It takes longer but works.
Advance Preparation
- •Vegetables can be cooked and cooled up to one day ahead. Bring to room temperature before adding the eggs.
- •A finished frittata keeps refrigerated for three days. Serve cold or at room temperature, or warm gently in a low oven.
- •Slice into wedges and pack for lunch. It travels well and tastes honest even hours later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 155g)
Calories
250 calories
Total Fat
19 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
320 mg
Sodium
400 mg
Total Carbohydrates
5 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
14 g
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