RED ONION AND RICOTTA FRITTATA
Frittata, meaning fried is the Italian take on an omelette. It’s a fantastic dish that can be eaten at any time of the day, warm out the oven or left to cool then cut into small cubes or chunky wedges for serving with drinks or as an antipasto. I like frittata for breakfast but I also associate it with Good Friday – a day of eating for most Italians – as it was something my grandmother always used to prepare for us all to have as a mid-morning snack.
I’ve deliberately been specific about the type of onion to use. Calabria is famous for its red Tropea onions, which are cultivated all over the region but are particularly sweet when grown in the mild climate by the coast. They’re in season from May to July and I really want you to seek them out if you can. If you can’t find them, French griotte onions or sweet white onions are a good alternative.
SERVES 4
4 Tropea red onions (about 600g), very finely sliced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
12 medium eggs
150g pecorino cheese
20g basil leaves
300g fresh ricotta
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190oC /fan 170oC /gas 5.
Put the onions and oil into a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat with the sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt. Leave the onions to sweat until they are very soft and transparent. The vinegar will help give them a beautiful crimson colour. Remove from the pan and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Add the eggs, pecorino, basil and some salt and pepper to the bowl of cooked onions and whisk well. Line the frying pan (there’s no need to clean) with oiled baking paper, then pour in the egg mixture. Crumble the ricotta over the top and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a strand of spaghetti stuck in the centre comes out clean. Eat warm as your breakfast, lunch or dinner, or leave to cool to room temperature when it will be easy to slice and you can cut it into cubes or wedges to serve as an antipasto.
