The first meal my mother ever made my father was a frittata. Growing up, frittatas were never a breakfast staple. That was olive oil fried egg territory. But they were a frequent lazy weeknight meal. To this day, I rarely crave frittatas in the morning and have yet to find a restaurant that serves them at night. That’s why I continue to rely on Chez Lapine, and my mother, for dinnertime frittata inspiration.
A few weeks ago she told me about a new technique she was trying out: the spaghetti frittata. She sent through a recipe, and I added a springtime touch by using fresh ramps. The result was incredibly crispy on the outside, while staying warm and succulent on the inside.
**Recipe**
Spaghetti Frittata with Ramps
Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients
1/3 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 shallot, sliced
1 bunch ramps, cleaned well, and sliced (white and green parts separated)
1 tomato, seeded and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup white wine
½ teaspoon salt
6 eggs, beaten
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet (with rounded sides) and sauté the shallot to 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the white parts of the ramps, the tomato, and the garlic. Gently sauté for 3 more minutes, until the ingredients are soft. Add the wine and the salt and simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the spaghetti and the green parts of the ramps (reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish) to the pan and carefully toss until coated in the tomato mixture. Bring the heat to high. When the spaghetti begins to sizzle, pour the egg mixture over the pasta, beginning with the outer edges of the pan, and ending in the middle. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook until the bottom and the sides have set.
If your pan is over-safe, finish the frittata under the broiler until the top is brown. Invert onto a plate and serve.
If your pan is not oven-safe, invert the frittata onto a plate, and slide it back into the pan (there will be some runny eggs left on the plate). Cook until the bottom has set. Using a clean plate, re-invert twice and serve with the crispy side up.
Garnish with the remaining green ramp leaves.
