Pasta Frittata

Pasta Frittata
Suzy Allman for The New York Times
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(1,870)
Notes
Read community notes

This dish is one recipe calling for leftover pasta that is actually worth planning for. It's portable, it's endlessly versatile, and it's practically foolproof. Substitute almost any cheese for the Parmesan (or leave it out altogether) and toss in any cooked vegetable or meat. Make it your own.

One last bit of advice from Mr. Bittman:

“The key to extreme enjoyment is to make sure that some ends of pasta pieces protrude from the top of the mixture when you put it in the oven. They will become crunchy, giving the leftover pasta yet one more pleasant dimension.”

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; Leftover Pasta Reborn as a Pie

Learn: How to Cook Eggs

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • ¼pound spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine or other long pasta (or about ½ pound cooked pasta)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼cup minced pancetta, bacon or prosciutto, optional
  • 6eggs
  • 1cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

329 calories; 22 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 17 grams protein; 435 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using leftover cooked pasta, chop it up. If using dried pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it. Cook pasta until barely tender, somewhat short of where you would normally cook it. Drain, and immediately toss it in a wide bowl with half the butter or oil. Cool it a bit.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put remaining butter or oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet, and turn heat to medium-high. If you are using meat, add it, and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. (If not using meat, proceed.)

  3. Step 3

    In large bowl, combine pasta with remaining ingredients, along with salt and pepper (less salt if you are using meat). Pour into skillet, and turn heat to medium-low. Use a spoon if necessary to even out top of frittata. Cook undisturbed until mixture firms up on bottom, then transfer to oven. Bake just until top is set, about 10 minutes. Remove, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,870 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Serving only two, I cut everything accordingly (2 eggs, 2 oz pasta). I added pancetta, red pepper flakes and leftover broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper casserole topped with bread crumbs and Parmesan. I added more cheese, poured it into a hot 9" Creuset skillet with butter and oil, let it sit at medium about 5 min then finished it in my toaster-convection oven (so glad it fit!).

This was very delicious and nothing's left. One of Bittman's great wing-it recipes!

I used 4 eggs, and a combination of Asiago and pecorino cheese. I also stirred in sun dried tomatoes and caramelized onions into the egg mixture. This is dreamy!!

Having made it with both olive oil and butter, the only objection I have to this recipe is the quantity of oil/butter: both times I made it, it was too oily by half. I think 2 tablespoons is plenty. Aside form that, it's a great recipe as describes but can also be used for cleaning out the fridge - you can throw anything in there, really, and it comes out great. I definitely recommend this recipe.

Just made this with leftover Garlic Pesto Angel Hair . . . very delicious. I thought it might be too "eggy", but it's definitely not - just very firm, and holds together perfectly. No meat this time, but will definitely experiment with different leftovers.

I've made a dish like this for years. I cut it into sections and turn it and it can be finished in the pan on the stove. No oven heating necessary. It's great with leftover veggies.

The pasta frittata in my family is the traditional dish to serve on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. It is usually stuffed with cut up sopressata and hard boiled eggs. Sharp cheese, such as Pecorino is used instead of Parmiggiano and fried in a skillet on the stovetop and flipped over mid way to cook the other side, which gives it a nice crunchy exterior. More cheese is dusted on top. The idea is to saturate your senses for one last time before Lent.

Being italian I had made this recipe many times but never with the final browning in the oven. So yesterday since I had a nice bowl of leftover pasta with eggplants and tomatoes I cooked the frittata in a cast iron pan and and then baked in the hot oven for a few minutes (450 F* roasted conv.). It came out perfectly with a nice crispy top. Thank you, Mark : )

Delicious! I used what I had in the fridge: chopped sausage, frozen spinach, onion. I only have a toaster oven in my kitchen so there was no way I was getting a whole skillet in there. I used a plate to help me flip it, topped with cheese. Served with sour cream and salsa. My boyfriend LOVED it. I usually find quiche too eggy but with the pasta, the texture and taste is perfect.

This was fantastic made with left over vegetable fried rice instead of pasta. Didn't even need cheese, though I did season the eggs with tamari instead of salt. Great texture!

Just made this exactly as written, except that my nonstick skillet is only safe to 300 degrees so I cooked it a couple minutes longer at that temperature. It's basically frittata carbonara -- delicious.

My Italian grandmother taught me this recipe years ago and her instructions were "Cook a box of spaghetti, mix it with a box of eggs a bowl of Locatelli, and a hard salami this long (finger tip to wrist). Oil the pan and fry it on the stove"...and it comes out perfect every time! This was always a "clean out the frigidaire" kind of recipe without any fuss or stress that is almost impossible to mess up. Enjoy!

Respectfully disagree ... plenty of frittatas are finished in the oven in lieu of flipping over, and it is no big thing to do. As for ingredients ... ditto on the no big thing. I have had this on both continents made left over sauced pasta and/or pasta + other ingredients at the whim of the cook and it is all good.

My family loved this recipe. Made in advance up to when it set on bottom then cooled and put in frig. The family took it out next day and brought to room temp and finished cooking in oven. Loved it. I recommend using bacon and cast iron skillet.

This is INCREDIBLE - spruced it up a bit with sundried tomatoes but the basics of egg and pasta with cheese is insane Thought the recipe was a tad rogue but tried it anyway and so glad I did, my lord Cannot wax lyrical enough!!!!!!!!

For my son, who is a vegetarian, I replaced the meat with a generous amount of basil and shallots and pinch of red pepper flakes. I preferred it to the one that I made with pancetta.

Anyone recommend a nonstick skillet that can cook in the oven?

Yummy and easy. Great with leftover pasta and any kind of hard cheese.

Great way to use leftovers besides making a soup or chili.

I couldn't understand why I needed to use the oven so I didn't and it turned out fine. I used leftover macaroni, and a bit of goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, turned out great.

Is everyone beating their eggs first?

Bland. Needed so much more.

We made this with leftover Tagliolini made with Porcini and Guanciale. It came out perfectly. This is the perfect thing to do with leftover pasta.

Yum. Like many, my mother made this, all on the stove top. She had 6 kids to feeding! I did the same all on stovetop and flipped it. Didn't add any additional veggies, used almost 1 lbs spaghetti left over from Christmas eve and 7 eggs. It's a winner. Just me and hubby, no 6 kids!

I have been a fan of Mark Bittman and still have cut out print recipes that he wrote about in the NYTs!!! Love the videos!!! My mother was from Napoli and made this on the stove.. get it crispy then flip it with a plate that way it is crispy on both sides!! Delicious cold too. Going to try this in the oven in a large black iron pan... for a crowd. thanks so very much Mark for all your deliciousness!!!

I’ve been making this for years. I’ve never measured anything in the recipe. I add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg. Soooooo good!

This was a good way to revive five-day-old spaghetti. Made it in a 13-inch skillet, used eight eggs and added a quarter cup of heavy cream. Did use bacon so skipped the added butter and drained off most of the bacon fat before adding the remaining ingredients. Next time will add whatever vegetables are on hand.

Has anyone made this with feta/spinach/sun dried tomatoes? I made it with spinach, broccoli, and Parmesan, but felt the Parmesan was too overpowering. If only my kids would eat feta (they won’t) I would try that next time.

Simple and great, but I still can't figure out why on earth I just cooked bacon in 2 tablespoons of butter.

Made this with leftover spaghetti with the sauce and meatballs. Added some mozzarella and shaved parmesan. Used 5 eggs in a 7" non-stick pan. Low temperature and lots of liquid as a result had to wait half an hour for it to be done. Started at 325 degrees finally raised it to 350 at the back of the oven for 10 minutes. WARNING: Using a lot of leftover sauce and/or a non-stick pan will take you much longer than 10 minutes. Did not come out dry at all, though. Have fun! It was delicious!

Did this w/leftover pesto pasta w/beans and potatoes. Added mushrooms, zucchini, onion, garlic and 2 strips of bacon which I sautéed first. Added about a cup of grated old cheddar. Delicious. Made a big amount in big cast iron skillet. enough for 2 meals.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.