Spaghetti Frittata

When Andrea and I were dating, we met up one summer day after church and he suggested that we take a picnic to the lake. We went to his place and in twenty minutes he whipped up a gorgeous spaghetti frittata; we packed the frittata along with some drinks and fruit and drove off. It felt like the fanciest picnic I'd ever been on. This spaghetti frittata is extremely easy to make and will take your al fresco dining up a notch, especially when paired with fruit, cheese, and some bottles of San Pellegrino. Not only does a spaghetti frittata make a great picnic, it could also be an appetizer and a fun addition to a tapas spread. 

Spaghetti Frittata 

Frittata di spaghetti 

Ingredients:

12 ounces of spaghetti no. 5 (350 grams)

5 eggs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup diced smoked scamorza (or any hard cheese, such as mozzarella)

1 cup diced prosciutto cotto, ham, or pancetta*

1/3 cup whole milk

Olive oil 

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Course salt for salting the pasta water

*If using pancetta, don't add extra salt to the dish as the pancetta itself is salty enough.

Instructions:

1. Just as meatballs originated from the need to use up leftover meat from dinner, the spaghetti frittata was created as a way to use up leftover spaghetti (dressed with a red sauce or undressed). Because of this unique origin, when making a spaghetti frittata the spaghetti must be room temperature before adding it to the pan. 

If you don't have any leftover spaghetti in the fridge, boil 12 ounces of spaghetti no. 5 in salted water. Something I hadn't previously noticed in the USA is that the varying thickness of spaghetti are given different numbers and used for different dishes. For example, what in America is called "angel hair spaghetti" is used in Italy only in broths and soups and would never be served with sauce on top. Spaghetti no. 5 instead is the classic thickness and the most versatile type of spaghetti. 

When it comes to pasta brands, one of the most common found in Italy as well as America is "Barilla." My personal favorite however, and known in Italy for it's excellent quality, is "Garofalo." When Andrea and I lived in America we would buy the "Garofalo" brand at Costco, but you can also buy it on Amazon.  

2. While the pasta is cooking, finely dice the prosciutto cotto and smoked scamorza. 

3. One minute before the suggested cooking time on the package, strain the water from the pasta. It will still be quite al dente, but will continue cooking in the pan. Dress lightly with olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together and let sit until cool. 

4. Next, crack 5 eggs into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper, and scramble well. 

5. Add the scamorza, prosciutto, 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese and mix well. Then, slowly add the whole milk. Set aside. 

 

6. Take one clove of garlic and crush it under a wide knife. (By crushing the garlic, you're ensuring that it will better flavor the olive oil.) In a large pan, sauté the clove of garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the garlic is partially transparent and the aroma has hit its peak (about 2 minutes).

 {Crushing the garlic.}

7. After the garlic has infused the olive oil, pull it from the pan and pour in the room temperature spaghetti. Without stirring it, allow the spaghetti to fry in the pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. 

 

{This is leftover spaghetti dressed in a red sauce. A frittata made from spaghetti dressed only in olive oil is called la classica frittata di spaghetti, whereas when the pasta is dressed in a red sauce it's name is frittata di spaghetti avanzati, or in English lefover spaghetti frittata.}

8. Pour the mixture of eggs, prosciutto, and cheese evenly over the top of the spaghetti. Let the frittata cook for another 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining parmesan (about 1/4 cup) over the top. The parmesan cheese will help the frittata develop a crispy crust. 

 

 

 {Leftover spaghetti frittata with red sauce.}

9. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to continue cooking over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, quickly shaking the pan every few minutes to keep the frittata from sticking to the bottom. When the bottom of the frittata is golden brown it is time to flip it. 

FLIP THE FRITTATA

10. Hold the handle of the pan with your right hand and place your left hand on the knob of the lid.

11. In one swift move, flip the pan upside down holding the lid tight. The frittata will now be sitting on the lid. 

12. Place the pan back on the stove top and then let the frittata slide off the lid back into the pan. The side of the frittata that was cooking against the bottom of the pan should now be showing, allowing the other side to crisp up. 

13. After flipping the frittata, allow to cook for another 4-5 minutes without the lid. 

14. When the underside is sufficiently coked, transfer the frittata to a large serving platter. (It should easily slide from the pan to the platter without you needing to lift it.) Allow to cool down completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

 {The spaghetti frittata will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but obviously it won't last that long.}