I made this, my very first frittata, for our Mother’s Day brunch a few weekends ago. Initially I had considered a quiche, but didn’t feel like making a crust so the frittata was my Plan B. Had I known how easy and versatile frittatas were, I probably would have been making them years ago! Basically if you have eggs, you can make it happen. Throw in whatever veggies, cheese or meats happen to be in your fridge – anything goes! I chose to incorporate asparagus, my favorite spring veggie, and Gruyère, the best cheese ever, in ours. The asparagus retained just a little bit of its texture so it wasn’t at all mushy, and the cheese, which is cut into cubes rather than shredded, became little pockets of melty goodness once cooked. This came together in less than 15 minutes so it’s a really great last minute meal idea.
Because I made this just before everyone arrived for brunch, I didn’t want to put the meal on hold while I took photos. I figured if there were leftovers, great, and if not, I’d make it again sometime to photograph and share (assuming we liked it). It turned out we did have a few slices remaining but I wasn’t in the mood to take pics immediately so I stuck them in the fridge. I was bummed when I pulled them out the next day – the color, especially the green of the asparagus, which had been bright and vibrant was now dull and not very appealing. Rest assured yours will look better than what you see here if you serve it immediately 🙂 The good news is it tastes great either way!
Asparagus and Gruyère Frittata
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2005
12 large eggs
3 tablespoons half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
3 oz Gruyère cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Preheat your broiler, with an oven rack placed about 5 inches below it.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, half and halfWhisk eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper until completely combined.
Set a 12-inch nonstick skillet (make sure it’s oven safe!) over medium heat. Add the oil, and when hot, throw in the asparagus. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus has lightly browned on the outside and is nearly tender, about 3 minutes. Add the shallot and cook just until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
Add the cubes of Gruyère into the egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet with the asparagus and shallot, and cook, using a rubber spatula to stir and scrape the bottom. Large curds will begin to form after about 2 minutes, but the eggs should still be quite wet. Shake the skillet to distribute the eggs evenly then allow to cook for 30 seconds without stirring – this will set the bottom.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and set under the broiler. Cook until the frittata puffs and the surface browns slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t walk away – you may need to rotate your skillet for even cooking, depending on your broiler. Cut into the frittata with a parking knife – if the eggs are just slightly wet and runny, it’s ready. Pull the skillet from the oven and let the frittata stand for 5 minutes, then slide it out of the pan. Cut into wedges and serve.
This is great for any meal of the day! Yum!
Asparagus is, by-far, my favorite spring veggie too! And it still looks bright and cheery to me. I will be trying this, I love the gruyere with asparagus!
Looks incredible Tracey!! I love frittata’s. I am bookmarking!!
Frittatas are perfect for when you don’t want to mess with a pie crust. Love that you can pretty much throw anything in there. This one looks perfect Tracey.
It’s been years since I’ve made a frittata, but as much as I love eggs, I’ll need to remedy that soon! What a great, classic flavor combination for a special brunch. Coincidentally yesterday I made an asparagus and gruyere crustless quiche.
Wow, that looks great! I didn’t know exactly what a fritata was before!! lol But now that I do, I’m going to have to make this asap!!
I would love to have this for breakfast, and lunch, and dinner, it just looks amazing!
I hate runny eggs-does it firm up during the 5 minute wait, or should I cook it a bit longer for my taste?
This was a yummy part of our special Mother’s day brunch. I love asparagus any time of year but it is so fresh now. A delicious combo with the gruyere cheese. Thanks again, Tracey.
@diane – It definitely firms up while it rests after you pull it from the oven. Ours wasn’t runny at all.
I’ve made an egg dish with asparagus and goat cheese before but I have to try this sometime–I love gruyere!!
Oh, boy, I may have to improvise with a different cheese, but this may be my lunch tomorrow…YUM!
I always try rush to take pics before guests get here, and if they get here before I finish taking the pics, then I make them wait haha 🙂 I love how cheesy and great this frittata looks! Gruyere with asparagus is such a yummy addition!
I usually make Asparagus stuffed Omelets… This looks vibrant in color and sounds yummmm. can we make this recipe with 4 or 5 eggs also with reduced measurements…
-Mythreyi
Yum! Yum! Yum!
This sounds like a great recipe. I definitely will have to make it with all of the veggies and cheeses in our fridge. I love friendly recipes that allow you to throw ingredients together! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
It was perfectly delicious!
I made my first frittata recently too…from the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. It was much easier than I thought it would be and I love the versatility. Your frittata looks great, even a day old!
Asparagus and gruyere is one of my favorite flavor combinations… Especially for a frittata! I make them all the time… It’s such a good way to use up the leftover veggies from our CSA.
I am totally craving eggs now! This looks fantastic and I love that the cheese is cubed instead of shredded. Bigger bites of cheese is always better!