Baked Frittata with Asparagus and Parmigiano Reggiano is the perfect dish for lunch, brunch, or even dinner. It’s versatile, flavorful, and packed with nutritious ingredients.
If you’re not familiar with frittata recipes, they’re an Italian-style omelet that’s typically cooked in a skillet on the stovetop.
In this recipe, we take it up a notch by baking the frittata entirely in the oven.
This method makes it super easy and convenient, as you can just pop it in the oven and forget about it for a bit while you prep your other dishes or enjoy some downtime.
The star of this recipe is the asparagus. Asparagus is a spring vegetable that is packed with nutrients. Not only is it healthy, but it also adds a pop of color and texture to the dish.
Parmigiano, a classic Italian cheese, is used to give the frittata a salty flavor that pairs perfectly with the asparagus.
This Baked Asparagus and Parmigiano Frittata recipe is easy to make and perfect for entertaining.
You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd, or make it ahead and heat it up when you’re ready to serve.
It’s also a great dish to make when you have leftover vegetables or cheese that you want to use up.
You can serve this Asparagus Frittata as an appetizer or as a main course. For a more elegant presentation, you can cook the frittata in convenient ramekins (small round baking dishes).
So if you’re ready to impress your guests with a delicious and nutritious dish, or if you just want to treat yourself to a tasty meal, give this Baked Asparagus and Parmigiano Reggiano Frittata recipe a try!
See Also:
- Asparagus Milanese | Asparagus and Eggs Recipe
- Torta Pasqualina recipe | Italian Easter Pie
- Potato Gateau | Italian Mashed Potato Pie Recipe
- Asparagus Risotto Recipe | Risotto agli Asparagi
- Italian Green Bean Casserole | Polpettone alla Ligure
Baked Frittata with Asparagus and Parmigiano Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 Min
- Cook Time: 30 Min
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
Doses for a round cake pan with a diameter of 20 cm (8 inch) or for6 small round single-portion baking dishes
- 450 g (16 oz) of asparagus
- 1 medium onion
- 80 g (2/3 cup) of grated Parmigiano cheese
- 6 whole medium eggs
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 100 ml (2/5 cup) of water
- a pinch of fine salt
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Step 1) – First, clean the asparagus. Rinse them under running water to remove the soil.
Then discard the hardest part of the stalk (the lighter, almost white part).
To know how much asparagus stalk to discard, simply bend the asparagus. It will break at the junction of the softer, leathery parts. Also, if the stalk is very thick, you may want to peel it with a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer part.
Finally, cut the asparagus into small pieces and set aside.
Step 2) – Chop the onion into small pieces on a cutting board. Pour the oil into a frying pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes.
Step 3) – When the onion is golden and translucent, add the chopped asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then pour in the water.
Step 4) – Stir and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes. Then pour into a bowl and let cool.
Step 5) – Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork. Whisk vigorously for two to three minutes to incorporate some air into the egg.
Step 6) – Then add the grated Parmigiano cheese and mix it with the eggs.
Step 7) – Now add the cooked and cooled asparagus and onion. Stir well. The asparagus frittata mixture is ready. All you have to do is cook it. To do so, cover the bottom of the baking dish with parchment paper.
If you prefer, you can also use ramekins. These are small, round, single-portion baking dishes. They are used for a more elegant presentation of the dish.
Finally, pour the egg and asparagus mixture into the chosen baking dishes.
Step 8) – Preheat the oven to 180°C (~350°F). Bake on the middle rack for about 20-30 minutes, until the frittata is golden brown on top and puffy.
Wait a few minutes before removing the frittata from the pan. Transfer the baked frittata with asparagus and parmigiano to a serving plate, cut into slices and serve.
How to Store Asparagus Frittata
We recommend that you keep the Asparagus Frittata in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
You can then enjoy the frittata at room temperature or lightly heat it in the oven.
We don’t recommend freezing.
Do I Need to Cook the Asparagus Before I Add it to the Frittata?
Yes, of course you must cook the asparagus before adding it to the eggs. Typically, asparagus is boiled or steamed.
As you may have noticed, we did neither.
Instead, we combined them raw with onion, adding only a little water.
This way, the asparagus are still cooked, but the flavor is more intense and the nutrients are not lost in the cooking liquid.
Baked Frittata: Lighter, Healthier and Lower in Calories
As mentioned earlier, the baked system makes the frittata lighter and lower in calories than traditional pan frying.
The only seasoning used is a little oil to sauté the onion and nothing else.
The use of parchment paper, instead of buttering the baking dish, is not only very convenient, it also reduces the amount of fat used and allows the frittata to be removed from the baking dish without any problems. This is true whether you use a large pan or small individual portions.
How to Make a Puffy and Fluffy Frittata
We recommend beating the eggs vigorously with a fork or whisk. This will allow the incorporated air to increase the thickness of the frittata, making it puffy and fluffy.
If you want to increase this fluffy effect (the result will be more like a sufflè than an omelette), we give you a tip.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside. Mix the yolks with the parmigiano and the asparagus. Finally, fold in the egg whites very gently so as not to separate them. Then bake. The result is a fluffier asparagus and parmigiano frittata.
Baked Frittata with Asparagus and Parmigiano: Some Variants
We have shown you a very simple and light, but very tasty version of baked frittata with asparagus and parmigiano. Eggs, asparagus and Parmigiano cheese are a perfect combination and a classic of Italian cuisine.
If you want to enrich the recipe, there are many variations that you can make.
In addition to Parmigiano, you can add cubes of scamorza cheese ( even smoked) or mozzarella. You will have more flavor and that delicious stringy effect.
If you like cold cuts, you can add cubes of ham, which has a delicate taste that does not overpower that of the asparagus.
On the other hand, if you like a smoky taste, add diced bacon.
What kind of Asparagus is Best for a Frittata?
There are many types of asparagus.
From green asparagus, which is the most common, to the rarer and more prized white asparagus.
White Asparagus
White asparagus grows underground. Without exposure to sunlight, which is why they remain white. It is very valuable and expensive.
It’s the only type of asparagus that doesn’t lend itself well to frittata cooking.
It’s ideal to eat them whole, because they are very fleshy and large, with simple cooking that enhances their qualities and very delicate flavor.
Green Asparagus
Green asparagus, on the other hand, is grown on earthy soils and gets its color from the effect of sunlight on the chlorophyll. It’s very tasty with an intense flavor.
Perfect for frittata
Wild Green Asparagus
Then there is the wild asparagus, which is thinner and more tender, with a very intense and slightly bitter flavor.
They grow in the countryside, uncultivated meadows, Mediterranean scrub and forests in central and southern Italy.
They prefer hills and milder climates.
The best time to harvest wild asparagus is from March to June.
It’s better to harvest it early in the season because it’s more tender.
When you have tender wild asparagus, you don’t need to remove the outer part of the stalk because they are very thin. You can even leave them whole in the pan. You will get a very beautiful and distinctive aesthetic effect.
A Bit of History…
In Italy, the cultivation of asparagus has been widespread since Roman times.
Thanks to Cato in his De Agriculture and Pliny in his Naturalis Historia, we know the cultivation techniques and we know that it was called the “king of vegetables.”