Spaghetti Frittata, a.k.a. Spaghetti Pie Recipe, For National Spaghetti Day
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Janurary 4th is National Spaghetti Day. We’re writing this on January 5th, because we took some time out yesterday to make this spaghetti pie, called spaghetti frittata by Greatest Tomatoes From Europe. Greatest Tomatoes From Europe is a project of the Italian Ministry Of Health. Canned preserved tomatoes are grown and picked at the peak of ripeness. The canning uses a traditional process that keeps all the flavor intact. The process has been using modern production lines to ensure higher quality and food safety. There are many delicious recipes on their website, but we picked the one below to celebrate National Spaghetti Day. There are links to more delicious fritatta recipes, following the first recipe. But first: A frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelet or a crustless quiche. While an omelet may have additional ingredients, a frittata always has them: cheeses, meats, pastas, or vegetables (potatoes are a popular inclusion). It’s a great way to use up leftovers! Unlike an omelet: > The history of canning. In Italy, a small wedge would be served as a first course. But we served a main-size slice with a big green salad and a side of bite-size meatballs. 1. PREPARE the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sweat the garlic for a few minutes until it’s soft and starting to caramelize. Add the tomatoes, half of the basil, and a pinch of sugar. Season with salt. Simmer over a gentle heat for at least 15 minutes. After the sauce has been simmering for 10 minutes… 2. COOK the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water to al dente consistency, and put the drained spaghetti in a large heat-proof bowl. Add the warm tomato sauce. Mix well and let the pasta cool slightly. 3. SLICE the mozzarella thinly. Mix the eggs in a bowl with the grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, and add the eggs to the spaghetti when still slightly warm. 4. HEAT the oil in a non-stick, deep frying pan. Take it off the heat and add half the egg and pasta mixture, spread the sliced mozzarella over it, and then cover with the remaining pasta. It should be about 2 inches high. 5. PLACE the frying pan back over medium heat and cook the frittata evenly on one side. Then slide it from the pan onto a lid. Place the frying pan on top of the lid and with one swift move, carefully flip the lid so that the uncooked side of the frittata is now in the pan. 6. FINISH cooking it until crisp and golden-brown on both sides. The frittata can be served warm, but is also very good cold. *In colloquialism, there are two other interpretations. Some use “fritatta” to mean a mess (appropriate for a dish thrown together with leftovers). Hai fatto una frittata, loosely translated, means “you’ve made quite a mess.” Another interpretation refers to a person who is a bit crazy (his mind is a mess?). [source] |
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