It’s asparagus season. Time to make Asparagus Frittata, probably my favorite of all my frittata recipes. Asparagus frittata is so easy to make. The only trick is to avoid sticking so that flipping it is no problem. For a history of frittatas, click here.
I note that most American recipes for frittatas use cream to give it a fluffier texture, and they finish it in the oven to avoid flipping the frittata. Italians never do either of these things. There seems to be some controversy over whether a frittata should be cooked over low or high heat. Though most recipes recommend low heat, I find I get the best results and the least sticking by using high heat.
Asparagus Frittata, like all frittatas, are generally served as a lunch dish in Italy or when you just want a quick meal. I’ll have to confess, as I did in my autobiography, The Wrong Side of the Room: A Life in Music Theater, that my favorite way to eat this as a child was in a sandwich. My mother placed any cold leftover frittata on sandwich bread. She would give me this treat to pack in my school lunch.
Admittedly, my fellow students did not share my enthusiasm for this lunch. By the time that I unwrapped the sandwich at school, the bread had turned green, and I nearly cleared the table as people exclaimed, “What the hell are you eating?” It didn’t bother me a bit. They, who probably had never tasted asparagus in those 1950s days, had no idea what they were missing.
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Cut the woody parts from the asparagus, and trim the spears to fit in your frying pan. I find that thinner asparagus spears cook better for a frittata. A 10- inch cast-iron skillet is best for this. Your trimmed asparagus should amount to about 8-10 ounces in weight. Wash the trimmed spears, and dry them with paper towels.
Beat the eggs with salt and pepper to taste just until coagulated. Do not overbeat. Lightly beat in the grated Parmesan cheese.
Lightly beat eggs and cheese.
Heat 1⁄4 cup of olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus in one layer.
Fit the spears into the pan.
Fry the asparagus until the spears begin to brown, appear slightly charred, and are tender. Roll the spears so that all sides get cooked.
Brown the spears.
Season the asparagus with salt and pepper.
Increase the heat to high. If the olive oil seems to have completely evaporated, add the remaining oil to equal 1/3 cup in total. Pour in the beaten egg mixture into the fried asparagus. Swirl and tilt the pan so that the egg mixture is evenly distributed.
Pour in the eggs.
Begin shaking and striking the pan against the burner to help prevent sticking.
With a thin metal spatula, lift the edges of the frittata and tilt the skillet to let the remaining liquid egg flow underneath.
Run the liquid egg underneath.
Continue shaking and striking the pan. If the frittata appears to be sticking, slide the spatula under it. When almost all of the liquid is cooked, invert a plate the size of your skillet over the frittata, and flip the frittata onto the plate. (I do this over the sink to catch the drippings in case any liquid still remains.)
Invert a plate to flip the frittata.
Return the skillet to the heat, and slide the frittata from the plate back into the skillet to cook the other side. This should take only a couple minutes. Once again, flip the Asparagus Frittata onto a serving plate.
I believe frittatas taste best if they sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. However, they may be served hot, at room temperature, or even cold from the refrigerator.
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To read more stories about my Sicilian heritage and unusual food treats, check out The Wrong Side of the Room: A Life in Music Theater here.
