ZUCCHINI, BASIL & PARMESAN FRITTATA
Soaking bread in milk and cream before folding it through eggs, basil and parmesan gives this frittata and light and somewhat fluffy texture. Using only a handful of ingredients, this frittata is flavorful and perfect for brunch, lunch and dinner. For lunch and dinner, I like to serve it simply with baby lettuce simply dressed in olive oil, balsamic, sea salt & freshly ground pepper. I think it’s best served hot or warm. This is an adaptation of Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe from his cookbook aptly titled, ‘Simple’.
Servings: 6
Calories: 370kcal
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 10 oz Italian or ciabatta bread, crusts removed & discard, bread torn into chunks about 6 cups (8oz/226g) with crusts removed (use crusts for breadcrumbs in another recipe
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Olive oil for greasing pan
- 6 large eggs, whisked
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 oz finely grated fresh parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated – about 4 cups (1lb/430g) – I like to use a combination of yellow & green zucchini
- 1 cup basil leaves, torn, plus extra for garnish
- A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine bread, milk and cream in a large bowl. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread has absorbed almost all the liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with olive oil.
- Add egg, garlic, nutmeg, half the parmesan and the torn basil to the bread mixture; fold to combine. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Somewhat even out the top but don’t flatten it, create some peaks so the top can achieve some crusty parts. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top and bake a further 15 minutes, uncovered, or until the frittata is cooked and a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle and the top is golden brown. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve topped with extra basil leaves for garnish, if desired. This is best served warm. Serves 6.
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1208IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 1mg