Tomato, Pepper, Bread and Ricotta Frittata

By Hklbrries

"My mother and I live together. The best compliment she can give me is after she tastes my food, when she reminisces about the flavors. She’ll say, “Oh, my great-aunt used to make this. Yours is almost as good as hers!” She always leaves a little room for improvement. But I think my greatest satisfaction, especially now that my mother is 90, is when I can give her the same pleasure that she gave me growing up: not only the deliciousness of food, but also the love and comfort that came along with it.

My grandmother used to serve this frittata all the time. To make it my own, I added a little bit of cream. She didn’t do that. Sometimes she added milk. She was on and off about the ricotta part—but I love it!"


“The bread soaks up the egg and cream and gives the frittata a firm but tender texture, while the ricotta brings a certain sweetness to the dish."


Lidia's Tips:

•“The beauty of a frittata is that it’s a chameleon. The ingredients can change with the seasons. Just toss in whatever’s fresh at that time.”

•“For this kind of baked frittata, I prefer a cast-iron skillet or a heavy, kind of aged ovenproof vessel.”

•“Always make sure that the pan is nice and oiled; otherwise, the frittata is going to stick.”





Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/3 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old bread, crusts removed
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup fresh ricotta

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat eggs, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Add bread cubes; let soak until softened, about 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Add onion; cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add peppers; cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes. Add butter and remaining oil to skillet; heat until foaming. Pour egg and bread mixture into pan; cook over medium without stirring.

Meanwhile, add ricotta by tablespoonfuls, forming little pockets on top. Continue cooking until bottom is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. There should be a few bubbles around edges.

Once bottom crust has formed, transfer skillet to preheated oven; cook until center is firm to touch, about 15–20 minutes.

To serve hot, let frittata stand at room temperature 15 minutes; to serve warm or at room temperature, let stand a little longer.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
330 calories
10 g carbohydrates
16 g protein
25 g fat
450 mg cholesterol
220 mg sodium
1 g fiber