Do you want to expand your pasta repertoire? Then The Pasta Book by Gennaro Contaldo, Jamie Oliver's Italian mentor, is for you. We can already share the recipe for this pasta frittata with you. You can vary endlessly, ideal.
Preparation time:20 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people for a basic pasta frittata
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Heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and grate in the Parmesan. Add a little salt and a good pinch of ground black pepper, stir well and toss in the cooked pasta. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 26cm ovenproof non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the pan, bake the frittata for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy, then return the pan to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the top is set. Very carefully, invert the frittata onto a plate, slip it back into the pan and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy. Serve with some extra grated parmesan.
Variation tip with leftovers
If you have about 400g of cooked pasta with sauce left over, you can use that too. Or try a pizzaiola pasta frittata – make the basic pasta frittata (I like to use fusilli, but just use whatever you have on hand), sprinkle over 6 sliced ripe cherry tomatoes, 40g fontina and a few fresh basil leaves, and make it finish with grated parmesan.
Spring Variation
In the spring you can make the basic recipe extra special by adding peas and pancetta. Heat 1½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a 26cm ovenproof non-stick frying pan. Peel 1 onion, cut it into rings and let them sweat for a few minutes. Cut 6 slices of pancetta, preferably free-range, into thin strips and fry them with the onions for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 200 g peas, add 400 ml hot water and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the mixture cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated, then let it cool. Make the pasta frittata mixture, add the chopped leaves of 4 sprigs of fresh mint and the juice of 1 lemon and stir in the pea mixture. Bake your frittata as described above, and serve it with some extra grated Parmesan.
This recipe is from The Pasta Book by Gennaro Contaldo, €9.99.
