Asparagus Frittata

When the temperatures hit almost 100 degrees here the other day I wanted something light for dinner. Our supermarket had just gotten a delivery of  very fresh asparagus and as the season is almost over I decided to make an asparagus frittata. The original recipe calls for boiling the vegetables. I like them better roasted, so I baked them for 15 minutes in the oven to intensify the flavor and soften them a little.

Asparagus Frittata
(adapted from better homes and garden)


1 ½ lbs. fresh asparagus or two 9-ounce or 10-ounce packages frozen cut asparagus
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
⅓ cup chopped onion
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 cup) (I used broccoli instead)
10 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan


1. Butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.

2. If using fresh asparagus, snap off and discard woody bases. Scrape off scales, if desired. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

3. In a saucepan, bring about 1 inch water to boiling. Add asparagus, pepper strips, and onion; bring just to boiling. Reduce heat slightly; cover and boil about 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain well, reserving some asparagus tips for garnish. . (Here is what I did: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and put the prepared vegetables in one layer on the tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until the vegetables get soft.) Spread asparagus-pepper mixture evenly in baking dish. Layer zucchini (or broccoli) slices over.

4. Combine eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt, and pepper, parmesan and smoked paprika. Pour over vegetables in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving . Garnish each serving with asparagus tips, if desired. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 8 servings.