Spaghetti Frittata - From Our Christmas Pot Luck

The gang at work did a pot-luck lunch today so I thought I'd bring a touch of Italy to the festivities with a spaghetti frittata.  I first had this quintessential Neapolitan dish at Leon d'Oro, a quintessential Neapolitan trattoria in Piazza Dante.  My friend Wendy loving and accurately described this friendly family run restaurant, that she visited last month,  over at Flavor of Italy.

This is a great way to use up left-over spaghetti, vegetables or whatever catches your fancy.  Its a good buffet dish, a lunch/brunch dish with a salad or as a primi for a more elaborate dinner.

1/2 lb of spaghetti*
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Other ingredients can be added - almost anything that you would normally use with spaghetti - bacon, cooked zucchini, roast peppers, basil, canned tomatoes or left-over tomato sauce. 

1. Cook spaghetti until just slightly al dente - it will undergo further cooking later.
2. Drain and toss while still hot with butter, Parmesan and parsley and allow to cool completely
3. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl with salt and pepper
4. Add the beaten eggs to the spaghetti and mix thoroughly
5. If you are using other ingredients they should be added and thoroughly mixed in at this point.
6. Spray a 11-12 inch non-stick skillet with Pam or 2 tablespoons of butter and heat over a medium burner until foam subsides.
7. Pour mixture into skillet and spread to an even thickness over the bottom of the pan.
8. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes without touching the pan.  The tilt the pan slightly and bring the edge closer to the centre of the heat.  Cook for  minute or so and then rotate the pan about a 1/4 turn and cook for another minute.  Continue until a full circle has been completed.  This will make sure it is cooked evenly. Lift the edge with a spatula to see if a nice golden crust has formed on the underside.
9. Place a platter slightly larger than the pan upside down over the pan and turn it over.  Let the frittata plop onto the plater.  Grease the pan again and side the frittata back into the pan.  
10. Repeat the cooking process above until the second side has formed a good golden crust.
11. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges.  

It can be served hot, lukewarm or at room temperature but never just out of the refrigerator.


23 dicembre/decembre - San Giovanni da Kety