Roasted Vegetable Frittata Makes the Perfect Brunch Centerpiece – A colorful vegetarian frittata is served at our birthday celebration brunch.
When family lives from California to Europe, there has to be a very good reason to bring everyone together. Thankfully, we had just that occasion for a special person’s birthday. We planned for a small gathering to let the birthday girl spend time with each guest. The weekend was filled with lots of food, memories and laughter. Photographs that showed images that brought joy and stories to be shared. On the final day, we wanted to do a brunch at home so everyone could relax and reminisce in comfort.
The main dish for the brunch was a vegetarian frittata that I made two ways to accommodate dietary restrictions. This easy to make recipe is incredibly adaptable. Use your favorite vegetables or what you have in the fridge. Add dairy – milk and cheese – or leave it out. Include herbs that you love from the garden or store. If you eat meat, feel free to add the type you like. Make it your own ultimately. The other benefit of this recipe is that it tastes even better two days later – if there are actually leftovers!
I had the opportunity to use eggs from a friends’ farm which gave me a colorful selection to choose from:
Since I made two different recipes, I was able to experiment with two different pans. Since the pan is going from stovetop to oven, you want to be sure whatever you use is safe in the oven. You also want to make sure you can get the frittata out of the pan! Presentation matters after all! This ceramic pan is what worked best for me in all stages of the dish.
This photo is of the dairy free frittata. I offered some hot sauce from Tiffany’s Torcher for those adventurous family members. 
Now, with regard to the use of ceramic pans, what is really important to remember is that this is a non-stick alternative. You do not want to use non stick sprays as they ultimately leave a gummy residue that is next to impossible to remove. Use oil or butter, cook on low to medium heat and make sure you clean them thoroughly each time. Directions are for both non-stick and ceramic cookware. These ceramic pans are NOT expensive though. They aren’t destined to live forever. If you read my history, you know I once worked for a high end cookware line that I still think is some of the best cookware on the market. But that will cost you. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a non-stick fry pan, try Green Pan. For a fifth the price of All-Clad, you can buy a ceramic pan that will do a nice job for you for a few years. They are also lighter pans since they are constructed differently. That is a bonus for some people.
See that melted Gruyere on the top? Yum!
By the way, if you wondered the difference between a frittata and an omelette, they are indeed very similar. The key factor is how they are cooked. Even though frittata is Italian for fried, the egg dish is actually baked in the oven while an omelette is made on the stove.
Enjoy the recipe!
- 12 large eggs
- 1 red pepper, diced in 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow pepper, diced in 1 inch pieces
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 3 asparagus stalks
- 1/3 c olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions, both white and green
- 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- Salt and black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425
- On sheet pan, place peppers, onions, asparagus and zucchini
- Toss with olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Roast for 15 minutes
- Add garlic and toss.
- Roast additional 15 minutes
- Remove from oven.
- Turn temperature to 350 degrees.
- In bowl, beat eggs
- Add milk, parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- In 10 inch fry pan, add butter and scallions. Saute for a minute.
- Add roasted vegetables. Toss together.
- Pour egg mixture over vegetables and let cook for 2 minutes without stirring on medium low heat.
- Put pan in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until center is set. Sides will puff up.
- Add gruyere to top and bake for 3 minutes until melted.
- Remove from oven.
- Best when eaten hot.
- Flavors mix together and are delicious if you are eating a day or two later.
- Add your favorite vegetables and cheese or leave it dairy free all together.
- If you make it dairy-free, add 3/4 cup water to egg mixture instead of milk.
We made this for our first of two brunches this weekend for Mother’s Day and it was a huge hit. Thanks so much for sharing it.