shaved asparagus and pea frittata with mint and parma ham recipe

I adore a minty asparagus frittata so with this recipe I simple added extra peas and adorned the finished dish with ribbons of parma ham and a generous sprinkling of fresh pea shoots. I believe we need more greenery for breakfast, but of course this meal sits perfectly at brunch, lunch or even supper.

Frittata is one of my favourite meals to knock together using any bits and pieces lying around the fridge. It is so versatile and can take on so many flavour variations. If I use any sturdier vegetables such as potatoes or peppers, I would always cook these before. Here the asparagus and peas get the quickest blanch in boiling water, but really you could just add them to the mix raw

Finely shaving the asparagus with a vegetable peeler before helps to hasten the cooking process too. They also look really pretty this way. I’ve used Parmesan cheese but goat’s cheese or Pecorino would work wonderfully too.

Recipe – serves 2 as a proper meal or 4 as a snack

Ingredients

1 cup shaved asparagus about 170gms
1 cup peas frozen or fresh
5 - 6 free-range eggs
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped mint
40 - 50 gms Parmesan cheese finely grated (about 1/3 cup
1 Tbs olive oil
Parma ham and pea shoots to garnish - optional
Salt and black pepper to season

Instructions

Heat the one to 200 C or fan-assisted 180C. Bring a pot of water the boil. Shave the asparagus using a vegetable peeler starting on the stems and pulling down towards the tip. Any remaining asparagus that can't shave, cut into small pieces. When the water is boiling, blanch the asparagus and peas for about 1 1/2 minutes and then drain. Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl and add most of the cheese and mint (reserving a bit for the topping.
Heat the olive oil in a pan that is the right size and oven-proof (alternatively, skip this step and empty the filling directly into an ovenproof dish). Add the egg mixture to the hot pan, add the vegetables and spread around the surface evenly and fry over moderate heat until the base is cooked and starts bubbling around the side. Sprinkle over the remaining mint and cheese and put the pan in the oven to finish off the cooking for around 20 minutes. The frittata will puff up and turn a lovely golden colour.

Author: Sam Linsell