“Fennel – Olive – Feta – Frittata” – Say that 5 times fast! ( :
I haven’t made a frittata in a while, but I was making a fennel and apple salad the other day and the fennel reminded me of a yummy frittata I had made a few years back.
Do you like fennel? I didn’t think I would like it at first, but it is delicious! When raw it’s crunchy, sweet and has a mild licorice taste. When cooked it loses some of the licorice taste. Fennel’s growing season is fall through early spring – so it’s a great time to eat some fennel while still in season!!
This frittata cooks up quickly and makes for an easy weeknight supper or…would be perfect for a brunch…Mother’s Day perhaps (hint, hint, wink, wink to my family!) I love to serve the frittata with a simple arugula salad. The peppery, bitterness of the arugula pairs really well with the rich taste of the frittata and the sweetness from the onions and fennel. YUM!
Fennel, Olive and Feta Frittata, Step-by-Step Photos:
Cut the stalks and the fronds from the bulb. Reserve the fronds (feathery leafy part) for the dressing.
Quarter the bulb and cut out the core.
Thinly slice the bulb
Gather the olives, parsley and feta cheese
Whisk the egg mixture
Sauce the onions and fennel
If your pan tends to stick, give the pan a quick spray with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in the eggs
Add the olives, parsley and feta to the egg mixture then pour into the pan.
Cook on the stovetop until the edges begin to set
Top with Parmesan cheese and finish by baking in oven
YUM!
Make a quick dressing for the arugula salad
Toss the dressing with the arugula and serve with the frittata! ENJOY!
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Thank you for spending some time in the cloud with me! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Happy Mother’s Day! Tina ( :
Fennel, Olive and Feta Frittata
Ingredients
Frittata
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- 2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (reserve the fronds)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 10 large eggs
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Non-stick cooking spray
Arugula Salad:
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fennel fronds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups baby arugula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a 10-inch cast iron (or oven safe) skillet over medium heat.
- Add oil, onion and fennel bulb, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt, cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes or until softened and beginning to caramelize.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in parsley, olives and feta.
- If skillet tends to stick, lightly spray edges of skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour egg mixture over the onions and fennel in hot skillet. Cook stirring slowly for about 1 minute or until the eggs begin to set around the edge of the skillet.
- Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the egg mixture and transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center is just set.
- While frittata is cooking make dressing: shake in a small jar or whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, fennel fronds and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
- When frittata is done, remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
- In large bowl, dress the arugula with the dressing. Cut frittata into 6 or 8 wedges and serve topped with arugula salad.
The flavor profile of the frittata is terrific. I used 5 eggs instead of 10 and one large fennel bulb for a 9″ cast iron pan and made some other substitutions because I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand. Instead of parsley I used fresh basil, and instead of feta I used a mixture of grated goat gouda and parm. I used Marcella Hazan’s method of cooking the frittata because that works the best for me and my pan. Re the salad, I suspect any green salad with a vinaigrette would be great. I used mixed spring greens with a lemon/balsamic/olive oil dressing. It was REALLY tasty. I didn’t give it five stars mainly because I think the amount of “filling” would be very skimpy with 10 eggs. The amount was perfect with the one large fennel bulb and 5 (medium) eggs I used.
Thanks for sharing Karla!