Frittata, the Italian omelette, is not just for breakfast. And when I think of having a frittata, the first word that comes to mind is yummy.
In simplest terms, a frittata is an egg dish consisting of beaten eggs cooked in fat. Yet, that description does little to express the deliciousness of this dish or the endless versions that are available to suit every palate. In fact, the omelette is a popular dish throughout the world. Try finding a country or culture that does not include the omelette in its cuisine in one form or another. You may be searching for a long time.
Frittata, the Italian Omelette
In the US everyone knows what is an omelette. However the italian omelette, the frittata, is somewhat different than what you may picture when hearing the word omelette. The frittata is an open-faced omelette, no folding necessary. And it is extremely versatile and very easy to make, not to mention delicious and super quick.
Frittata, the italian omelette, has many variations
There are so many different versions of the frittata that if you were to eat it everyday you may never feel you’re eating the same meal twice! Fill a frittata with a vegetable filling or a meat filling, one or many, or a combination. It really all depends on your tastes and what you are in the mood to eat. There are almost endless variations. So many that you can easily fill a book with frittata recipes. In fact there are books that focus solely on the many different varieties of frittatas!
When to eat a frittata
Frittata, the Italian omelette, is more than just a breakfast meal. While it’s true many people associate eggs with breakfast, a frittata is a meal for anytime of the day or night.
Grandma Antonia’s frittata
Grandma Antonia favors the zucchini frittata. This version of the frittata is delicious, nutritious, and super quick. And it’s easy to make with almost no prep involved.
The Zucchini Frittata
Making a frittata, the italian omelette, is fast and easy. You can use any vegetable, meat, or a combination of the two if you so desire. And like the dish itself, the cooking technique for this dish is also very flexible. In fact, there are frittata pans designed specifically for making frittatas! A frittata pan, although not necessary, can make the job very easy. Grandma Antonia prefers to use her frittata pan to make her frittatas and she says it’s because it makes the whole process so much easier.
Zucchini is an excellent choice to use in a frittata and it’s how Grandma Antonia typically makes her frittata. Just keep in mind that the frittata cooks fast so whatever you choose to add, it should be something that also cooks fast or it should be precooked.
How you eat a frittata is your personal choice. I prefer a slice of frittata between two slices of ciabatta bread – a frittata sandwich! If I don’t have any ciabatta bread, I make do with what I have. Eating it directly from the plate with or without toast is also great.
I’ve included the instructions on making a zucchini frittata in an easy to use recipe format below in case you want to print the recipe. Enjoy your frittata and let us know what you think in the comments and share your variations of this great dish with us.