Roasted Vegetable & Cheese Frittata
A frittata is an Italian baked egg dish, just think quiche without the crust - perfect for when you have lots of different vegetables & cheeses that need using up! They make a very nutritious family meal & are ideal for picnics & parties. They can be eaten both hot & cold. In this recipe, we are roasting the vegetables first with some garlic for extra yummy flavour!
Prep time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp oil
2 red onions, peeled & chopped into large chunks
1 bell pepper, deseeded & chopped into large chunks
250g mushrooms, washed & quartered
250g cherry tomatoes, stems removed
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 – 10 eggs
50g spinach, washed and shredded
150g mascarpone
50g grated cheddar
Salt & pepper
METHOD:
1. Peel & chop the red onions into large chunks. Deseed the pepper and cut it into large chunks. Wash the mushrooms to remove any bits of dirt and then cut them into quarters. Remove any stems from the cherry tomatoes. Peel & finely chop the garlic cloves.
2. Place the vegetables (red onions, pepper, mushrooms & cherry tomatoes) in a roasting tin. Sprinkle the chopped garlic & drizzle some oil on top, and season with salt & pepper. Roast at 180°C for 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
3. Make the egg mixture: beat together the eggs with 100g of the mascarpone, salt & pepper. Add the shredded spinach & mix well.
4. Take a large ovenproof dish (needs to have some depth) & grease it very well with oil or butter. Put the roasted vegetables at the bottom of the dish. Pour the egg & spinach mixture on top.
5. Finally add little dollops of the mascarpone that’s left on top and sprinkle the grated cheddar.
6. Place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes and cook until firm. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes and serve.
TIPS:
✔ Lovely dish served with a side salad and some crusty bread.
✔ Add some fresh or dried herbs to the egg mixture for extra flavour.
✔ Swap the vegetables for any other ones your family likes best.
✔ Great recipe to use any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge. If they are raw just follow the recipe. If they are cooked, instead of roasting them I would heat them up in a frying pan with some oil and garlic to give them a bit of extra flavour, before adding them to the egg mixture.
✔ If you don't have mascarpone, add a dollop of cream to the egg mixture instead.
✔ Use any hard cheese you have in the fridge instead of the cheddar.
✔ The frittata can be eaten cold and would make a nice addition to a packed lunch.
✔ If you don't have an oven or are trying to be energy conscious, instead of roasting the vegetables in the oven, fry them in a pan with some garlic and seasoning. Alternatively, you can also cook the frittata on the hob in a frying pan, to speed up the process cover the frying pan with a lid.
