Asparagus Goat Cheese and Olive Frittata ~ is there anything easier, and more comforting, than eggs for dinner? This is a convenient busy day 30-minute meal that always feels like a treat to me.
Neither the asparagus nor the goat cheese is a deal breaker in this easy frittata,
although the early asparagus (a harbinger of spring) is hard to resist when it comes into the market earlier and earlier every year as world imports extend our seasons until they almost have no meaning anymore. I don’t know how I feel about that!
You can use broccoli or zucchini just as well, and cheese is always interchangeable. If you like things creamy use goat cheese like I did, or Brie, triple cream, Boursin, or a soft blue. I dot creamy cheeses over the top before I cook the frittata. I think they work especially well with the texture of the eggs, but you can certainly use grated hard cheeses like cheddar or Manchego ~ in that case blend them right into the beaten eggs.
An easy meal like this can work for a Mother’s Day or spring brunch.
Frittatas can be served warm, cold, or room temp, so they are easy to work with. A pretty salad and some no-knead focaccia bread would round out this vegetarian menu for any beautiful spring occasion.
My colorful cherry tomatoes are always in the produce section, and they make a nice pairing when you slice them in half and douse them in a classic Italian vinaigrette.
It occurred to me as I was making the tomato salad that when you use really good quality ingredients, the recipe can be downright minimal. In this case I’m using cherry tomatoes, period. I just choose colorful ones, halve them, and dress them in a simple dressing made with really great oil and vinegar.
People always ask me about my favorite olive oil…
I recommend a small California company that I’ve partnered with in the past, O Olive Oil, for fabulous oils and vinegars.
The secrets to a great frittata ~
- Frittatas are cooked with a stove to oven method…started on the stove top to the point where the eggs are barely beginning to set around the edges, and finished in a hot oven.
- It’s critical not to over cook the eggs, and just until the frittata has puffed and is no longer wet on top. This takes less than 15 minutes.
- Any vegetables that are added have to be sautéed or roasted first to remove excess moisture. If you add them raw they’ll make the eggs watery and tough.
- A little bit of cream makes all the difference ~ this is a minimalist meal, you can afford the little bit of fat!
- Include something tangy for a pop of flavor in a potentially bland egg dish. I used goat cheese and briny olives, but other good choices would be feta cheese or marinated sun-dried tomatoes.
- a 10 inch cast iron skillet is a good choice for this dish because it cooks evenly.
It’s hard to top a classic frittata ~ the flavors are fresh, the meal is inexpensive and healthy, and you feel good about yourself afterwards. That’s a big deal!
Elegant egg dishes are particularly suited to late winter and springtime events like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, etc. Whenever you’re setting up breakfast in bed, or a brunch buffet, eggs belong. This frittata is the rustic cousin to my more ‘upscale’ recipes like Eggs Benedict Quiche with Hollandaise Sauce (sounds fancy but it’s not hard at all to do) Baked Eggs Florentine (that one comes together in a snap,) or the all time favorite Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes, a reader favorite that has pampered many loved ones in its day.
Reader Rave ~
“As a diabetic, I am LOVING your addition of nutrition information so I can check carbs. Wow! Thank you! It’s your extra attention to detail that makes your blog one of the very best out there. That and, of course, that every recipe of yours I have tried has been delicious and the instructions are always easy to follow.” ~ Terry
Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot or 1/4 onion, minced
- 1 bunch thin asparagus, about 1 pound
- 8 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, more if you like
- 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
simple cherry tomato salad
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half or wedges
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Trim the asparagus, this is generally at least the lower third to half of the stalks. Discard the ends and cut the asparagus in half. If your stalks are on the thciker side, you might consider taking a vegetable peeler and peeling away the outer edges of the lower parts of the stalks.
- Heat the oil in a 10 inch cast iron skillet and sauté the shallots and asparagus for about 8 minutes, stirring often.
- Beat the eggs gently in a bowl to break them up but don't beat furiously, you're not looking to incorporate air into them. Blend in the cream and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the eggs evenly into the pan. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the top, and scatter the olives, too.
- Let the eggs cook over medium heat just until you see that they are starting to cook around the edges, this will just be a few minutes.
- Put the pan into the oven, on the middle rack. Cook for about 12-14 minutes, or until the eggs are just set and not jiggly in the center. Let the skillet cool a bit before slicing.
- To make the salad whisk together the oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Taste it to adjust any of the ingredients. Then lightly toss the cherry tomatoes with enough dressing to moisten. Make the salad when you're ready to eat, tomatoes don't keep well once they're cut.
Nutrition
Thanks for pinning this asparagus goat cheese frittata!
This sounds great and looks absolutely lovely. Any advice for using egg beaters instead of real eggs?
No idea I’m afraid, I’ve never used egg beaters, maybe another reader will weigh in on this!
I haven’t worked with egg beaters, but I assume you could use them if they have the same consistency as eggs.
Looks delicious. Can you please tell me how many servings this makes and if the nutrition info is per slice? Also does the nutrition info include the salad? Thanks so much.
This makes 8 servings, and I just went in to check the nutritional value and yes, it does include the salad.
This is a great recipe and easily adaptable. I like it with asparagus, grape tomatoes and feta cheese. The shallots really add a lot of flavor.
Hola, can the goat cheese be substituted with another type of cheese? My wife doesn’t do goat cheese. Thanks!
Hi Robert, I’d suggest either Brie, a soft Blue, Boursin, or feta might work.
As a diabetic, I am LOVING your addition of nutrition information so I can check carbs. Wow! Thank you! It’s your extra attention to detail that makes your blog one of the very best out there. That and, of course, that every recipe of yours I have tried has been delicious and the instructions are always easy to follow.
Asparagus and eggs is always a favorite in our house! Love the addition of olives and the tomato salad is perfect. I love everything about this dish!