Italian Ultragrain® Spaghetti Frittata
Breakfast for dinner is always a popular choice with my family, but sometimes I’m hungry for a meal that’s more substantial and nutritious than the usual pancakes or waffles we fix. On occasions like this, I turn towards frittatas; they include eggs (which make them breakfast-like) and other savory ingredients such as cheese, vegetables and sometimes meat. I have a great frittata recipe (Italian Frittata with Bulgur Wheat Crust and Vinaigrette Tomatoes), but I’ve been so smitten with the new Hodgson Mill Ultragrain pastas lately, that I wanted to find a way to include one in this frittata. After some experimenting in the kitchen, I came up with this Italian Ultragrain Spaghetti Frittata. It has a thin spaghetti base and is filled with mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese. A delicious, creamy egg and chive mixture holds everything together, making this dish similar to a quiche, but with healthy Ultragrain pasta instead of a pastry crust.
The first thing you need to do is bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook theHodgson Mill Ultragrain Thin Spaghetti with Quinoa for about 8 minutes or until al dente. If you’re having pasta earlier in the week, cook an extra portion and save it for this recipe. Precooked, refrigerated pasta will work just fine, and it gets dinner on the table that much faster. Regular spaghetti is a fine substitute for the thin variety.
Arrange the pasta in the bottom of a 9-or 10-inch, deep dish pie plate that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I used about 1 ½ cups of cooked spaghetti to cover the bottom of my dish, but you may need more or less depending on the size and depth of your pie plate. You’ll want about an inch of pasta in the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top of the spaghetti. Set aside.
Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened. Add the cherry tomatoes and green onions and sauté for 3 more minutes or until everything is heated through. Arrange the cooked vegetables evenly over the top of the spaghetti and cheese. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream. Gently whisk in the chives.
Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and use a fork to wiggle things around a bit, making sure the egg mixture seeps into all of the nooks and crannies in the pasta on the bottom.
Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the top and then bake the frittata in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and set (not jiggly in the middle). Allow the frittata to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Top with additional Parmesan and fresh snipped chives if desired.
Italian Ultragrain Spaghetti Frittata is easy to put together and uses ingredients you’re likely to have on hand- which is always a bonus in my book. My kids think this meal is a fun way to eat spaghetti (they don’t even know it’s whole grain), and the mixture of vegetables and cheese combined with the pasta is simply delicious. After having such success with this frittata, I’m excited to try new flavors, like sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini and goat cheese or maybe sausage, red peppers, onions, basil and mozzarella; the sky’s the limit with this recipe. One thing’s for sure, by including Hodgson Mill Ultragrain Thin Spaghetti with Quinoa in this dish my family is getting a healthy serving of whole grains, protein and vitamins in each bite. Be sure to add this frittata to your list of easy, healthy meals – for breakfast or dinner. Enjoy!
Italian Ultragrain® Spaghetti Frittata
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Hodgson Mill Ultragrain® Thin Spaghetti with Quinoa
- 8 oz. mushrooms sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 oz. grape tomatoes sliced
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese grated
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chives minced
- 1 Tbsp. parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti for 8 minutes or until al dente. Arrange 1 ½ to 2 cups of pasta in the bottom of a 9-or 10-inch, deep dish pie plate that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top of the spaghetti and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened. Add the cherry tomatoes and green onions and sauté for 3 more minutes or until everything is heated through. Arrange the cooked vegetables evenly over the top of the spaghetti and cheese. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream; gently whisk in the chives. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and use a fork to wiggle things around a bit, making sure the egg mixture seeps into all of the nooks and crannies in the pasta on the bottom. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top and then bake the frittata in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and set. Allow the frittata to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Top with additional Parmesan and fresh snipped chives if desired.
Notes
Regular spaghetti can be substituted for thin spaghetti. Also, precooked refrigerated pasta can be used if available.
Servings
Serves 6 to 8
Original recipe by Holly
You can find Italian Ultragrain® Spaghetti Frittata and other recipes from Hodgson Mill by visiting the Recipes page.
