Zucchini frittata
Golden zucchini and sweet onion folded into eggs with parmesan and basil, finished with dollops of creamy ricotta, a light Italian summer dinner.
- 40 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.08 a serving
- 340 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 zucchini
- ½ yellow onion
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 340 calories, 21 g protein, 9 g carbs and 24 g fat, and costs about $2.08 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No zucchini? Yellow squash works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No ricotta cheese? Cottage cheese works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and the onion into .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch oven-safe over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and in spots, 8 to 10 minutes.
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-high heatTimer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Cooking the water out of the zucchini now keeps the frittata from turning soggy.the eggs, parmesan, the rest of the salt, the pepper and the basil in a bowl.
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.
Spread the zucchini out evenly, turn the heat to medium and pour in the eggs. Cook without stirring until the edges set, about 3 minutes.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min
Drop spoonfuls of ricotta over the top and move the to the oven. 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and the middle no longer jiggles.
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.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 11 min
Dolly’s tip: The handle is oven-hot now. Drape a towel over it so you remember.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.
Let it 5 minutes, then run a spatula around the edge, slide it onto a board and cut into wedges.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Timer: 5 min
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.
More dinners like this
Spinach and cheddar frittata
35 min
Cottage cheese egg bites
45 min
Sheet pan frittata
45 min
Cauliflower mac and cheese
45 min
Vegetarian dinners ›Make-ahead and freezer-friendly ›What to make with eggs and parmesan ›What to make with parmesan and ricotta cheese ›What to make with zucchini and parmesan ›