Oven-Baked Frittata with Yellow Zucchini, Red Pepper, Fresh Ricotta, Smoked Paprika & Mint
Keeping things simple and taking it easy, I made a fluffy little frittata for supper this evening, baked in the oven and tasty as can be.
I flavored it with smoked paprika and packed it out with sweet and juicy zucchini and creamy ricotta, with a little red pepper for a bit of contrast as well as mint, which I love so much in egg dishes... It's the Sicilian in me! I can't help myself and you won't be able to either once you give it a try!
Sometimes, something simple is the best thing you can do and with an ingredient like zucchini, which is so mild, it is best to boost-up the flavor to give it a little more depth, but to do it in a complimentary way. So I added the strong, flavorful smokey paprika, but kept it in balance by adding the ricotta as well. The mint harmonizes wonderfully with both egg and zucchini... And so yes... A no brainer... And a great supper!
All I needed was 1 good-sized zucchini, yellow in this case, although that isn't important... 1 small red pepper, 1 shallot, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of fresh ricotta, 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs, plenty of mint and parsley and salt, pepper, nutmeg and smoked paprika for seasoning.
This was a small, but lovely and thick, fluffy and light and yet satisfying enough to be my main meal of the day... Which was a good thing... Because I had been looking forward to it all day too!
The batter for the frittata was made by simply beating the 2 eggs with the 2 tablespoons of ricotta and seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
For the filling, I finely diced the zucchini, pepper and shallot and fried them in just a tiny drop of olive oil... Less is definitely more as you do not want the zucchini to get too moist and soggy.
Season with plenty of smoked paprika and black pepper and of course a little salt.
Once everything is nicely browned, set to one side in a large dish to cool off a little.
In the meantime, stir a good pinch of both mint and parsley, very finely chopped, into the batter.
Add a good tablespoon of bread crumbs to the diced vegetables and stir in well... This will help absorb any excess moisture as the frittata fries and bakes.
At this point, turn on the oven to get it nice and hot... And get a smaller frying pan ready and on your stove top for the frittata, brushed very lightly with a little olive oil.
Stir the breaded zucchini and pepper into ththe batter, mix it thoroughly... And get ready for action!
Pour the batter into your frying pan and let it begin to set and fry for 4-5 minutes before transferring it to the oven to finish cooking/baking for a further 5-6 minutes in the top shelf on the highest setting.
Turn on the broiler for a minute or two to get the top nice and Holden brown... And then serve piping hot and swoon over the wonderful aroma of mint and paprika!
Thanks to the ricotta, it is lovely and light and mild inside- a perfect combination of all of those great flavors and textures... Just what the doctor ordered after a long day! Really simple, bit really tasty and a real treat all the same... It's a good thing!
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