Spaghetti frittata (frittata di pasta)
Spaghetti bound with eggs and parmesan, with a melty mozzarella middle, fried into a golden cake and cut into wedges, the Neapolitan way to turn pasta into dinner.
- 40 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.99 a serving
- 620 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 8 large eggs
- ¾ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed, for serving
From your pantry
- 1¼ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 620 calories, 34 g protein, 53 g carbs and 29 g fat, and costs about $1.99 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No spaghetti? Fettuccine works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Cook the spaghetti 1 minute less than the package says, until al dente.
High heatTimer: 9 min
and let it cool 5 minutes.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Timer: 5 min
the eggs, parmesan, milk, the rest of the salt, the pepper and parsley in a large bowl. Add the spaghetti and until every strand is coated.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick over medium heat. Add half the spaghetti and spread it out, scatter the mozzarella over it, then top with the rest and press it flat.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Cook without stirring for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom is a crust and the cake slides when you shake the pan.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium heatTimer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Lower the heat a little if the bottom browns before the edges look set.Slide it onto a plate, put the upside down over it and flip both together. Cook 6 to 8 minutes more, until and set in the center.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium heatTimer: 7 min
Dolly’s tip: Use a plate bigger than the pan and flip over the sink the first time.Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Warm the marinara in the microwave or a small pot.
Cut the frittata into wedges and serve with the sauce. It’s just as good cold the next day.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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