Potato-Asparagus Frittata

You’re home from work, tired, starving, needing something warm and nourishing. Don’t forget about eggs, a staple in our kitchen, showing up for lunch and dinner as often as for breakfast. We poach, fry, flip, boil, and scramble them into any number of our favorite dishes, included this easy, delicious frittata.

Basically an open-faced omelet, a frittata requires very little skill to prepare (no Julia Child-esque flipping required here). This version is a one-pan meal, full of fresh vegetables and herbs, made substantial with a generous grating of cheese.

I opted for asparagus because it’s in season, but feel free to adapt this recipe to whatever vegetables sound good (or happen to exist in your cooler)—spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, pretty much whatever you like. Add browned sausage, ham, or bacon if that’s what would chase away a bad day, but sometimes meatless is a nice option too. (Eggs are flexible that way, when it seems that nothing or no one else is, so thank goodness for eggs!)

Potato-Asparagus Frittata
Serves 3-4

2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 lb. new potatoes, sliced thin
1/4 tsp. (pinch) dried thyme
salt
1/2 lb. asparagus, tough ends discarded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 large eggs
1/4 c. cream or half-n-half
2 Tbsp. minced fresh herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, chives—any one or in combination)
1/2 c. grated cheese (Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, feta—whatever you like)
freshly ground pepper

Preheat the broiler. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil, then the shallot, potatoes, and dried thyme. Sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes, stir to coat them with oil, then cover the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the potatoes and cover again for 5 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned. Add the asparagus to the pan with another light sprinkle of salt. Cover for 2 minutes or until asparagus is tender-crisp.

While the potatoes and asparagus cook: In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, cream, and 1/2 tsp. of salt together. Pour eggs over cooked potatoes and asparagus. When the bottom of the eggs starts to set, start lifting edges of the frittata to allow uncooked egg to run to the bottom of the pan. When the frittata is mostly set (the top will still be uncooked), remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh herbs and then cheese. Drizzle top with 1-2 tsp. of olive oil. Transfer pan to the oven and broil, watching very carefully, for 1-2 minutes or until the top of the frittata is set, lightly browned, and puffed a bit on the edges. Remove from the oven and top with a few grinds of black pepper.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. The frittata is excellent the next day, cold or reheated.