Serves 6 or more
Notes
What makes this frittata different is the bread. It soaks up the egg, and cream gives the frittata a firm but still tender texture. It makes it easy to cut into bite-sized squares for an easy, room temperature appetizer and best of all, it can be made several hours ahead.
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups cubed (½ inch) day-old bread, crusts removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¾ cup fresh ricotta
- ¼ cup grated Grana Padano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Beat the eggs, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and let soak until softened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet with a heatproof handle over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the peppers and cook, stirring until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat until the butter is foaming. Stir the parsley into the egg mixture and add the egg mixture to the pan. Let the egg mixture set just a minute or two, then drop the ricotta mixture by tablespoonfuls all over the surface of the frittata. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Cook, still over medium heat, without stirring, just until the bottom is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes (check by lifting an edge with a spatula). There should be a few bubbles at a time around the edges; any more than that means the frittata is cooking too quickly, so adjust the heat accordingly.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook just until the center is set and firm to the touch and the top of the frittata is browned, about 15 minutes.
To unmold, run a rubber spatula around the edges of the frittata and shake the pan gently to free the bottom of the frittata. Let cool on a cutting board for 10 minutes if you’d like to serve it warm, in wedges. To serve at room temperature as an appetizer, cool completely and cut into small squares.
