Zucchini frittata with basil (frittata di zucchine)

We just celebrated the Summer Solstice so summer is definitely here. Zucchini is one of the first summer vegetables that appears at the farmers’ market. Fritatta is a popular Italian dish and also is my favorite way to prepare zucchini. Italians often make it for ‘lunch on the go’ because it tastes good as it is … it does not have to be reheated and is an interesting and unique dish. If you have eggs, cheese, onions, zucchini and olive oil you can make zucchini fritatta. The secret is in the preparation.

So let’s look at those secrets … no worries it is not a difficult dish to make. The main secret is to cook it slowly. It is kind of a ‘slow food’ meaning that it is cooked slowly on low heat starting in cold olive oil. This was rather a hard concept for me at first because I always heat the oil before I put onions in a pot … but once you taste the dish, you will understand. Also, it prevents the olive oil from burning- I’m guessing. Another secret is to not dry it out so basically don’t over-cook the eggs. And that is about it other than the usual, use good ingredients.

The recipe is from Marcella Hazan’s cookbook Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

So let’s look at why we should incorporate zucchini in our summer diet. The watery zucchini is cooling and refreshing and is great to overcome the summer heat. It has a tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor and pairs nice with something a little more robust like eggs and cheese. It is also packed with nutrients and is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin B and C.

Oh and I can’t forget about the basil, the other main ingredient. It is in the mint family along with the other remarkable Mediterranean herbs like oregano, mint, rosemary. It is not an accident that Mediterranean chefs use basil on a regular basis. The aromatic basil is used in cooking for making food taste better and has numerous health benefits. For more information on basil, please check out this article.

RECIPE

Ingredients

Directions

Put half of the cold oil, and the onion in a large pan. Turn heat onto low heat, (not simmer) and cover. Cook until the onion wilts and becomes greatly diminished in bulk for about 40 minutes. Then uncover and continue cooking until the onion gets a nice golden brown color. I turn the heat a notch up here. This is going to be a lengthy process but it is an important part of the dish.

Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini. Scrub and wash off any dirt. Cut off both ends. Slice them thin.

When the onion is nice and golden brown, add salt and the sliced zucchini. You can put the chopped bacon in here if you plan on using it. Turn heat up to medium high and cook them until they are softened and have a light nut brown color. Stir frequently.

Making the frittata. Add the butter and cook for 5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the whisked eggs, torn-up basil, freshly ground black pepper and the cheese. Cook carefully until the eggs have set and thickened and the bottom has a light brown color (not burnt) and only the top is runny. Turn the broiler on. I use the low broiler for 3 minutes.

I served it with pesto and tomato salad.

Serve warm.

enjoy!

Source

Photo, text by twincitiesherbs.com.