Here is the thing about a frittata: it looks like something you would order at a nice brunch place, but it is actually one of the most forgiving things you can make. No flipping. No complicated technique. Just eggs, whatever is in the refrigerator, and about twenty minutes.
No flipping distinguishes it from the omlette, which is folded over to serve. The frittata, with its ancient origins in Persia, displays all your fancy ingredients right on the top. You'll see them with long asparagus spears and even pasta and tomatoes — anything you like.
The basic formula is simple. Beat six to eight eggs with a splash of cream or milk, salt, and pepper. Add whatever fillings mom likes, saut'ed mushrooms and spinach, roasted red peppers, crumbled bacon, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, diced ham. The possibilities are genuinely hard to exhaust.
Pour the mixture into an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and let it set around the edges, about five minutes. Then slide the whole pan into a 375-degree oven for another 10 to 12 minutes until the top is just set and lightly golden. Rest for a few minutes, then slice like a pie.
Serve with toast, fresh fruit, and coffee. Maybe flowers. Definitely flowers.
The frittata rewards improvisation and forgives mistakes, which makes it the ideal vehicle for a well-meaning dad who wants to do something impressive without a culinary degree. And because every frittata is different, it feels genuinely personal, because it is.
