Picnic season is in full swing, and with the heatwave bringing along sweltering temperatures, cooking might not be on the cards.
That’s why a simple pasta recipe using just leftovers is perfect to just throw together in no time and pack in your picnic basket.
Sharing ‘Gennaro’s pasta frittata’ on his website, Jamie Oliver said: “Delicious hot or cold, pasta frittata is a great way of using up leftover pasta and it’s super quick to make.”
The base recipe uses only six ingredients for four people, but you can get as creative as you like with any additions of your preference – from bacon to veggies.
Jamie said he likes to pair peas and pancetta as extra ingredients for a springtime special frittata.
Instructions
Warm the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. In a big bowl, crack and beat the eggs. Then, grate in the Parmesan cheese until it’s fine. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well, then fold in the leftover pasta.
To fry the frittata, heat three tablespoons of oil in a 26cm non-stick pan that can go in the oven, using medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook for about five minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown. Then, bake it in the oven for another five minutes, or until it’s solid. Carefully flip the frittata onto a big plate, then slide it back into the pan and bake for another five minutes, or until the bottom is crispy. Serve with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese.
For a quick twist, if you have about 400g of leftover cooked pasta with sauce already on it, you can use that instead. Or, try making a pizzaiola pasta frittata – follow the basic recipe (fusilli works well, but use any kind of pasta you have), then slice it and layer it over six ripe cherry tomatoes and 40g of fontina cheese. Scatter some fresh basil leaves on top, and finish with an extra grating of Parmesan.
For an even more flavourful dish, add peas and pancetta. Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a 26cm non-stick pan that can go in the oven, using medium heat. Peel, slice thinly, and add one onion, then cook it gently for a few minutes. Slice six slices of good quality pancetta very thinly and cook them in the pan for an additional two to three minutes. Stir in 200g of peas, pour in 400ml of hot water, then turn up the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid is gone, then let the mixture cool. Make the basic frittata mixture, finely chop and add the leaves from four sprigs of fresh mint, squeeze in the juice from one lemon, then mix in the cooled pea mixture. Cook your frittata as described above, and serve with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
