Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Perfect Frittata With Zucchini and Provolone 4.0 (3) Tender zucchini, melty cheese, and herbs mingle in this fluffy, egg-centric main. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 6 to 8 Jump to recipe Our zucchini frittata is loaded with vegetables and melty provolone cheese and gets a flavor boost from thinly sliced scallions and fresh basil. Hearty without being heavy, it’s a delicious meatless meal that is just as great served for brunch as it is for dinner with a side salad. It can be served hot or room temperature, making it especially great for entertaining. Once you’ve got the zucchini version down, try one of our variations: shallots, mushrooms, and gruyère; leeks, tomatoes, and goat cheese; or corn, cilantro, and pepper jack cheese. However you make it, we hope this versatile recipe will make it into your regular rotation. Beef-Zucchini Meatballs Frittata vs. Omelet A frittata is a classic Italian egg dish that's cooked in a wide, round pan and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Served hot or at room temperature, it's sliced into wedges and perfect for sharing. It can be studded with any combination of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and herbs and is an ideal way to use up bits of ingredients from the fridge or leftovers. An omelet, meanwhile, has its roots in French cuisine and is typically made for one person. Designed to be eaten hot, it can be made simply with beaten eggs, flavored lightly with herbs and cheese, or—in a more American-style direction—be filled with meats, cheeses, and vegetabels. 3 Tips For a Perfect Frittata Use a Nonstick Skillet: For this recipe, you'll need a 10-inch, nonstick, broiler-proof skillet. The nonstick part is especially important for when it's time to remove the frittata from the pan. We don't recommend using a stainless steel skillet here as the egg mixture is likely to stick, but if you have a well-seasoned cast iron pan, feel free to use that instead. To protect your nonstick skillets when not in use, it's best to place a paper towel between each one if they'll be stacked on top of one another. This will help ensure the bottom of one pan doesn't scratch the nonstick surface of the one it's resting on. Pre-Cook Your Vegetables: Before adding the egg mixture to the skillet, be sure to cook any vegetables to remove excess moisture—something that's particularly crucial with watery produce like zucchini or mushrooms or spinach. A few minutes in a heated pan should be enough to soften the vegetables and draw out any liquid, which can make the frittata tough and watery. Use the Stove and Broiler: Starting the frittata on the stovetop allows you to gently cook the egg mixture to form large curds which result in a fluffy finished product. Once partially set, you'll add the cheese and gently press it into the surface of the frittata before popping the whole thing under the broiler to cook the top and melt the cheese. After a minute or two, the frittata will be perfectly tender from top to bottom with no overcooked or runny spots. Swapping in heavy cream or half-and-half for the whole milk will result in an even creamier, richer frittata. Dairy-Free Frittata If you're avoiding dairy, you can still make this frittata. Use olive oil instead of butter when cooking the vegetables and swap in an unsweetened, dairy-free milk for the whole milk. You can either skip the provolone or use your favorite dairy-free cheese. The frittata will be a touch less moist but will still have plenty of flavor. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Preheat broiler; sauté scallions; Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heating element. Melt butter in a 10-inch broilerproof nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add scallions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add zucchini; cook until tender: Stir in zucchini and cook until tender, 4 to 8 minutes. (This ensures that the vegetables are cooked and won't release extra moisture, which would make the frittata tough and watery.) Credit: Brie Goldman Beat eggs and milk: Meanwhile, beat together eggs and milk with a fork (it gives you more speed and agility than a whisk here) until well combined. Credit: Brie Goldman Add basil, salt, and pepper: Stir in basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Credit: Brie Goldman Add egg mixture: Pour egg mixture into skillet. Credit: Brie Goldman Cook, stirring, until mostly set: Cook over medium-high, stirring with a spatula to create large curds, until eggs are wet on top but otherwise set throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Using a heatproof, flexible spatula, stir and push the eggs from the edges to the center of the pan as they cook, so the liquid parts run underneath. Add cheese: Sprinkle with provolone, pressing about half down into eggs. Credit: Brie Goldman Transfer to oven; broil: Transfer to oven; broil until puffed and browning in spots and eggs are just set, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Frittata can be served hot or at room temperature. Credit: Brie Goldman Storing and Reheating Leftover frittata can be wrapped well and refrigerated for three to four days. Enjoy it cold or room temperature. Reheating To reheat, place in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, microwave individual slices until hot throughout, about 30 seconds. Freezing You can also freeze individual slices of frittata wrapped well in plastic wrap or foil and stored in a freezer bag. For best results, reheat frozen slices in the oven as microwaving can cause frittata to become soggy. Variations Earthy: Mushrooms, Parsley, and GruyèreCook 1 cup sliced shallots until tender, then add 3 cups sliced mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Stir 1/4 cup chopped parsley into the egg mixture. Add 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese before broiling.Savory: Leeks, Goat Cheese, and Cherry TomatoesCook 1 cup sliced leeks (white and light-green parts) until tender, then add 1 1/4 cups halved cherry tomatoes and cook until they release their liquid. Stir 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint into the egg mixture. Add 3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese before broiling.Spicy: Pepper Jack With Corn and CilantroCook 1 cup thinly sliced onion until tender, then add 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels and cook until bright yellow and crisp-tender. Stir 1/4 cup thinly sliced cilantro into the egg mixture. Add 3/4 cup grated pepper Jack cheese before broiling. More Frittata Recipes to Try: Spanish Frittata Tomato, Scallion, and Cheddar Frittata Mini Frittatas Quick Broccoli Frittata Asparagus Frittata With Goat Cheese and Herbs Sweet-Pea-and-Onion-Frittata Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.