Frittata, Frittata, Frittata, Je T’aime

For the frittata-uninitiated, these are basically quiches without crusts — firm, cakelike omelets cooked slowly over low heat. My first efforts at these resulted in scrambled eggs, but a good frittata actually can be super simple and surprisingly classy for something so packed full of good things. Tips to simplify:

• The right hardware: A big, cured skillet is best for this recipe since the frittata turns out particularly attractive if you sit it under the broiler for a minute or two, and I don’t trust teflon or the “wrap the plastic handle in foil” method not to do nasty things in the oven.
• Butter is better: If your skillet isn’t (or is) well cured, barely-browning some butter in the bottom of the pan right before you pour in the egg mix will help it stay loose and come out a little easier.
• Implements that help: A big, flexible pancake spatula is also a plus here, as is one of those knives that looks like a soft-cheese knife but has very good, small serrations on the bottom for astoundingly excellent julienne-slicing.
• Shortcut: For the faint of heart or accident-prone [me], the baking method also works: butter a deep pie dish, do whatever stovetop prep is necessary to get the veggies where you want them, and pop the whole thing, uncovered, into a 350° oven for, say, 30min.

Spinach, Red Pepper, Onion, and Feta Frittata:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, halved vertically and thinly sliced
• 2 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise and sliced very thinly
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed out (I up it to 15oz)
• 5 large eggs
• 1/4 to 1/2 c crumbled feta
• optional: 1 Tbsp pre-grated parmesan
• optional: 1/4 c to 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley, or 1-2 Tbsp dried (I omit this)
• 1 tsp italian seasoning (I used 1 heaping tsp)
• Pepper to taste or a pinch of crushed chili pepper (the egg can handle it)
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Pop the spinach in a bowl in the microwave on half-power to start it thawing. Meanwhile, chop everything.