Whipped Ricotta and Vegetable Mélange Frittata

15-Minute frittata you can make with any veggies you may have on hand

Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelet, filled with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables. Fun fact is that Italians don't eat savory egg dishes for breakfast so not only is this a great brunch dish, but it can also make for a great lunch or aperitivo at any time of day as it is enjoyed in Italy.

This particular dish like all great dishes came together accidentally when I asked my wife what she would like for breakfast and her response was something quick and easy. Like you might know by now nothing I make is straight forward or quick and easy unless it's a breakfast sandwich. I immediately got started on my mission to make something fast and easy yet inspired and interesting. I knew I had to incorporate ricotta into it somehow because I had some that I needed to use up and while I thought about making a toast with whipped ricotta and tomato, I quickly realized I didn't have bread so an egg dish it was. I immediately started whipping up my ricotta and grabbing some eggs when it hit me and immediately thought frittata. The only problem was that I didn't have any fresh veggies or greens to top it off so I improvised and grabbed the fire roasted frozen vegetable medley I had in my freezer, some cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and off to the races I went and created this beautiful, well balanced and delicious dish that I served before my wife could even get her coffee together. I felt like Picasso creating a successful masterpiece. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and find inspiration to create your own version!

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List of Ingredients

• 5 large eggs

• 1/2 cup of vegetable mélange.

• 1/2 cup of ricotta

• 1 tbsp of freshly grated parmigiano Reggiano

• 1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes halved

• 1 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• Fresh Basil to garnish

• Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Whipped Ricotta

Place the ricotta, extra virgin olive oil and salt in a small bowl and whisk until its fully combined and set aside.

Step 2: Preheat Cookware

The very first step to cooking any dish properly is to get all your prep work done. In this case the only prep work needed for this recipe would be to half your tomatoes, set the broiler in your oven to hi and to place 10" nonstick skillet on low heat so it's ready when we need it.

Step 3: Broil Veggies

Place your veggies on a quarter sheet pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. I used frozen veggies and placed them frozen on the sheet pan. Insert the sheet pan into the oven for about 5 minutes until they have heated up nicely, released all of their moisture and are beginning to sizzle.

Step 4: Assemble Frittata

Scramble your eggs until homogenous and gently fold the parmigiano into them. Set your nonstick skillet medium heat and give it a little spritz of avocado oil spray. Now add your veggies along with the liquid right into this pan and give a quick toss. Immediately add the egg mixture to your nonstick pan and begin to gently mix it until it begins to set, tap it gently to release it slightly from the bottom and add dollops of the ricotta mixture in dabs (feel free to lower the heat if the pan is too hot it as it should just be hot enough to gently scramble the eggs and allow them to begin to set). You should have around 5 dollops throughout.

Transfer the pan to the oven under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes until you see it puff up and the top set.

Step 5: Plate and serve

Remove from the oven and run your rubber spatula around the edges and the frittata should easily release from the pan. You can slide it onto a plate or a wooden board and top with your tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and finish with a little salt, freshly cracked pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. I personally like to cut it into 4 slices good size slices and serve with a Crostini drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, rubbed with fresh garlic, seasoned with a little salt, black pepper and toasted under the broiler for 30 seconds.

Buon Appetito!

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Please Note

If your using fresh veggies in step three you can simply give them a quick sauté in the nonstick skillet with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and proceed with the rest of the steps.