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Pasta Frittata with Broccoli Rabe

By Dan Souza

Published on April 30, 2014

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Pasta Frittata with Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

8 large eggs 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 8 ounces broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 6 ounces angel hair pasta, broken in half

Before You Begin

To ensure the proper texture, it’s important to use angel hair pasta for this recipe. We like to serve the frittata warm or at room temperature, with a side salad.

Instructions

  1. Whisk eggs, Parmesan, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl until egg is even yellow color; set aside.
  2. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add broccoli rabe, 1 tablespoon water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to evenly coat. Cover skillet and cook until broccoli rabe is bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vinegar. Transfer broccoli rabe to bowl with egg mixture and wipe out skillet.
  3. Bring remaining 3 cups water, pasta, remaining 7 teaspoons vegetable oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to boil in now-empty skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, water has evaporated, and pasta starts to sizzle in oil, 8 to 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook pasta, swirling pan and scraping under edge of pasta with rubber spatula frequently (do not stir), until bottom turns golden and starts to crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Using spatula, push some pasta up sides of skillet so entire pan surface is covered with pasta. Pour egg mixture over pasta. Using tongs, lift up loose strands of pasta to allow egg to flow toward pan, being careful not to pull up crispy bottom crust. Cover skillet and continue to cook over medium heat until bottom crust turns golden brown and top of frittata is just set (egg below very top will still be raw), 5 to 8 minutes. Slide frittata onto large plate. Invert frittata onto second large plate and slide it browned side up back into skillet. Tuck edges of frittata into skillet with rubber spatula. Continue to cook second side of frittata until light brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
  5. Remove skillet from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Using your hand or pan lid, invert frittata onto cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.
Pasta Frittata with Broccoli Rabe

Pasta Frittata with Broccoli Rabe

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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
6 ounces angel hair pasta, broken in half

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
6 ounces angel hair pasta, broken in half

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
6 ounces angel hair pasta, broken in half

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a pasta frittata that showcased egg and pasta in equal measure, we opted for superthin angel hair pasta. The strands of angel hair formed a delicate network throughout the eggy interior. We started with dried pasta instead of leftover cooked pasta so that we could make this dish any night of the week. For convenience’s sake we skipped the traditional pasta cooking method, which requires a large pot of boiling water, and instead cooked the angel hair in just 3 cups of water in the same 10-inch nonstick skillet we then used for cooking the frittata. We kept the eggs tender by using a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil, and we created a crispy pasta crust by letting it fry in the skillet before adding the eggs. Finally, for flavor and textural contrast, we mixed in bold add-ins. To ensure that each incorporated seamlessly into the frittata, we cut everything into bite-size pieces and precooked them before adding them to the eggs.

Before You Begin

To ensure the proper texture, it’s important to use angel hair pasta for this recipe. We like to serve the frittata warm or at room temperature, with a side salad.

Instructions

  1. Whisk eggs, Parmesan, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl until egg is even yellow color; set aside.
  2. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add broccoli rabe, 1 tablespoon water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to evenly coat. Cover skillet and cook until broccoli rabe is bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vinegar. Transfer broccoli rabe to bowl with egg mixture and wipe out skillet.
  3. Bring remaining 3 cups water, pasta, remaining 7 teaspoons vegetable oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to boil in now-empty skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, water has evaporated, and pasta starts to sizzle in oil, 8 to 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook pasta, swirling pan and scraping under edge of pasta with rubber spatula frequently (do not stir), until bottom turns golden and starts to crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Using spatula, push some pasta up sides of skillet so entire pan surface is covered with pasta. Pour egg mixture over pasta. Using tongs, lift up loose strands of pasta to allow egg to flow toward pan, being careful not to pull up crispy bottom crust. Cover skillet and continue to cook over medium heat until bottom crust turns golden brown and top of frittata is just set (egg below very top will still be raw), 5 to 8 minutes. Slide frittata onto large plate. Invert frittata onto second large plate and slide it browned side up back into skillet. Tuck edges of frittata into skillet with rubber spatula. Continue to cook second side of frittata until light brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
  5. Remove skillet from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Using your hand or pan lid, invert frittata onto cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

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