Fresh Zucchini Frittata

An easy and cheesy breakfast meal that uses your fresh zucchini to make it extra special. Zucchini Frittata is a classic that brings your garden bounty, CSA, or fresh veggies to your breakfast or brunch table. Heck, it is even great as a 'breakfast for dinner' meal. Give this tasty one-pan recipe a try.

Zucchini Frittata Recipe Summary

Recipes don't get much easier than this. First, fry some chopped zucchini, onions, and garlic in an oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Then, add salt, pepper, and thyme. I use my 10 ¼-inch cast iron pan, but any oven-safe pan that is big enough should work. 

While this is heating, make sure an oven rack is up one from the center. The goal isn't to have it directly under the top burner but off-center to the higher rack. My oven has five shelves, and I like to cook this second from the top. If it is the center, it will work fine— Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. 

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, whole milk, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Add this mixture to the same pan where the zucchini is cooking, once the vegetables are glassy.

On the stovetop, cook the mixture just until the edges of the egg can separate from the pan. Using a spatula, mix the center to try and ensure that the eggs don't burn directly over the burner.

The eggs will start to form and solidify. The edges will start to become more easily separatable from the edge of the pan. When this happens, remove the pan from the burner and place in the oven for 25 minutes. After that time, remove from oven, cool for five minutes, cut, and serve. 

Also, check out this wonderful Zucchini Casserole Recipe or maybe consider going all out with this tasty Corned Beef Hash recipe. Scroll down to find the recipe or more in-depth tips to making this recipe.

Frying Vegetables To Perfection

Cook the onions and zucchini in some oil over medium-high heat. The onions should be translucent and your zucchini should be softened. Since our chopped onions are a little smaller than the chopped zucchini, the onions should end up being further along than the zucchini. That is ok. 

When to Move Frittata from Stove Top to Oven?

This question is the only part of this recipe that takes a little bit of discretion. Five minutes is my hard answer, but it is a little bit more nuanced than this. 

To determine when the frittata is ready for the oven, I use a metal spatula and slide it in around the edges of the pan. At some point, it feels like the egg starts to easily separate from the edge of the pan and seem more solid. That is when it is ready.

At the same time, I make sure to use my spatula to mix the center of the pan and make sure the egg does not burn and stick to the center of the pan. The oil we previously added to the cast iron should also help with this.

Frittata Substitutions

The thing about a frittata is that it can have so many variations. A frittata's ingredients can be whatever you have in your fridge or need to use up.

I choose to focus on zucchini, as we are getting it out of our garden, and I always am looking for great ways to use it up. Zucchini bread is great, and I love grilling fresh zucchini, but a frittata is perfect for this kind of vegetable. You can also use other veggies.

Vegetable Substitutes or Additions

You can really use whatever vegetables that are appropriate for sauteing. You could use some spinach, more onion, mushrooms, or anything that can be sauteed. I design this recipe specifically for zucchini, but there are many options for vegetables to use.

Cheese Substitutes

I use trusty cheddar cheese, but any shreddable cheese will work. The cheese is another area where so many options are available. Cheddar is a great cheese, but pepper jack, Monterrey, swiss, or any other cheese that can shred.

Herb Substitutes

I am focusing on thyme in this recipe, but you could really use rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage. I love thyme and think it is great for a dish like this. It doesn't have quite as strong of a flavor as rosemary, and it is a bit more distinct than oregano. Use what you like. 

Oil Substitutes

I use olive oil in this recipe, but I have also used coconut oil, which I think is a great substitute. Coconut oil adds a fruity sweet flavor to the dish. You can use any appropriate oil for cooking, but I would stick to the better ones like olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. 

Condiments That Work

I think my favorite condiment for most egg dishes is hot sauce! Many things, however, can work for this recipe. I could see salsa, avocado, sour cream, ketchup, more cheese, or some herbs would work. This dish is similar to an omelet, so most things that work for an omelet would also work here. 

Some Frittata History

While the word "Frittata" has an origin in Italy, I have a tough time ascribing the dish's origin to Italy. Just because of the nature of how easy a frittata can be, I would imagine that its origin is relatively close to after the pan's invention. 

I did look a bit into the history of this dish, and, as expected, the historical account is long. I found books going back to the 1500s. A famous Italian chef, Bartolomeo Scappi, was a cook for popes put out an early cookbook in 1570 that contained recipes for frittatas.

Products I used In This Recipe

• 10 ¼ inch cast iron skillet
• Spatula
• Pie server

Tips For This Zucchini Frittata Recipe

• Check out the rest of the post, but there are many opportunities for substitutions in this recipe
• To determine when to place in the oven, use the spatula to determine when the edge of eggs is easily separated from the edges of the pan.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Thank you so much for checking out our Zucchini Frittata recipe! I love a good breakfast, and it makes me happy to share the meals I make with you. If you liked this, it would be great if you could leave a rating below or share this on social media. Doing that can help Ramshackle Pantry, and also, you get to share the recipe with your friends. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.

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