Recipe for Spinach and Bell Pepper Frittata

I think the first time I came across a Frittata was when I was in US and addicted to Food Network. One of my favourite shows was Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis. Even though I was fresh off the boat from India with not much exposure to Italian food other than ‘pasta in red sauce’, ‘pasta in white sauce’ and ‘pasta in nondescript sauce’, her recipes appealed to me big time. If I said that her show was responsible for getting me to cook Italian food with a flourish, I wouldn’t be exaggerating.

So coming back to Frittata, it is a kind of omelette, but way thicker, usually with a variety of vegetables, even potatoes, and chunks of meat in some (like ham). The good thing about this is that it tastes good hot, warm or cold. It is my must have item on a brunch menu, because you can make omelettes for a crowd in one go, in a baking tray, each one cutting off as much as they like. Typically a 6 or 8 egg frittata will easily serve 3-4 people. Pile up some toast and pancakes on the side, juice and coffee, and you have a sumptuous family breakfast for the weekend.

This recipe for frittata uses homegrown swiss chard (that you can easily substitute with spinach) and some yellow bell peppers, topped with mozzarella cheese that melts beautifully when put into the oven. These large omelettes are first cooked on the stove top and then finished off in the oven. So make sure your pan is oven safe. If the handle of your pan is not metal, then you can wrap it in a few layers of aluminium foil and then put it in the oven, which will keep the pan handle safe.