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This Veggie Frittata with Roasted Garlic Aioli is perfect for when you have odd bits and pieces of vegetables in the fridge, but you aren’t quite sure what to do with them. Just like my Minestrone Soup, it will help you make the most of what you have on hand and ensure you don’t let any of your fresh produce go to waste.
The real beauty of this veggie frittata is that it can be made with just about any vegetable you have on hand so please feel free to rifle through your fridge and make substitutions. You can also add cooked vegetables if that’s what you have. Roasted potatoes, roasted peppers, grilled zucchini or eggplant, leftover sausage, or even cured meats like prosciutto, are perfect in a frittata. You’re the boss, applesauce.
Frittata vs. Omelet
A frittata is, basically, an open-faced omelet. Unlike a standard Western omelet, a frittata is finished in the oven and is not folded over. Frittatas are also usually intended to feed more than one person, have a wide variety of fillings, and are often served cold or at room temperature. It’s also very common to add dairy, such as milk or cream, to a frittata, which results in a custard-like consistency.
What You’ll Need for a Veggie Frittata
Eggs (and quite a few of them)
The main ingredient in any frittata is the humble egg. 12 eggs is ideal, but 8 will do if you don’t have a full dozen. To be honest, if you have less than 8 eggs, you’re better off making an omelet. The reason is because if your frittata is too thin, it will likely overcook and you won’t be able to achieve a soft center, which is what you want in a frittata.
If you absolutely must make a frittata, but don’t have 8 eggs or just want to feed one person, I recommend using a pan that is no larger than 8” in diameter. The smaller size of the pan will force the eggs up and create a thicker frittata.
Vegetables
After all, this is a veggie frittata! As mentioned, you can use just about any veggie you have on hand so feel free to play around with different flavours, textures and colours. I always tend to make frittatas from the vegetables that are starting to go bad. This way, I can make use of everything and reduce waste.
Today, I managed to salvage some wilting green beans, half a head of broccoli, some leftover red bell pepper, a wrinkly chili pepper, half a spring onion, some mushrooms, and a lonely tomato.
Fresh Herbs
If you have any fresh herbs lying around, now’s a great time to use them! I like to finely chop them and whisk them into the eggs. This way they get distributed evenly throughout the frittata and flavour everything. You can use dill, chives, parsley, cilantro, or basil.
Oven-Safe Skillet
My preference is to use a non-stick pan with a metal handle because it’s oven safe and it will also prevent the eggs from sticking. Avoid pans with plastic handles since they can burn or melt in the oven. Normally, I would avoid putting non-stick pans in an oven altogether, but since the frittata is cooked at 375F for a relatively short period of time, I’m not too worried about the non-stick material breaking down.
Lately, I’ve been using this DeBuyer Non-Stick Skillet and really like it.
Another choice is to use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, which is virtually non-stick. I recommend this Lodge Skillet, which is both affordable and high-quality.
For tips on how to season and clean your cast-iron, you can read my article here.
If you don’t have a non-stick pan with a metal handle, you can make your frittata in a stainless-steel pan. This model from Made In, has been my go-to for over a year now.
Just keep in mind that if using stainless-steel, there is a chance that parts of the frittata will stick to the bottom. For this reason, it’s very important that you have enough fat or oil in the pan before you add the eggs.
There are 2 pans I recommend for the job.
Oven
Frittatas mainly differ from omelets in that they’re finished in the oven. Finishing the frittata in the oven allows the top to cook. You can think of it like an egg pizza.
Veggie Frittata with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic Aioli
- 8 cloves roasted garlic
- ¼ cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- kosher salt, to taste
For Veggie Frittata
- 8 eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 cremini mushrooms – quartered
- ½ cup roughly chopped green beans
- ½ small head broccoli, roughly chopped
- ½ small onion – thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper – roughly chopped
- 1 chili pepper – finely chopped
- 1 to mato – thinly sliced into discs
- 1 medium ball of fresh mozzarella, such as bocconcini – sliced into discs (optional), omit for Whole30 and Paleo
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed ghee or butter, optional, use ghee for Whole30
- kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:
- Add garlic to a bowl and mash until smooth with a fork. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Stir until smooth and combined. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt or lemon juice as desired.
For the Veggie Frittata:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth and frothy. Add dill and whisk through to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside ¼ cup of mushrooms for garnish.
- Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, around 3 minutes. Add broccoli, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, around 3 minutes.
- Using a spatula, push the vegetables to one side of the pan. If the pan is dry, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. In the empty side of the pan, add the onions, red bell pepper, and chili pepper. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add ghee or butter, if using, and season with pepper. Toss or stir everything to combine and evenly distribute the vegetables across the pan. Slowly pour in the eggs so as not to disturb the vegetables.
- Cook the eggs for 2 minutes or until you can gently shake the pan and notice that the eggs have started to peel away from the bottom. Lay in the slices of tomato and cheese and transfer to oven. Cook the frittata for 15 minutes or until the centre is slightly firm and beginning to set.
- Remove the frittata from the oven and transfer it to a serving platter. Garnish with reserved mushrooms, fresh dill and serve with Roasted Garlic Aioli.
About the Author
Hi, i'm Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
