Frittata - Italian Omelette

The frittata is a great mainstay of the antipasto and would always be part of a tavola calda spread. The tavola calda , literally warm table, is usually an array of dishes cooked just before meal time which are often displayed, warm from the oven, near the entrance of restaurants. And there are eating places which are known as ‘tavola calda’ because that is their speciality and forms the bulk of the food on offer. The dishes are served as antipasto (self selected or by a waiter) ,some of them might be taken and re-heated before being served to you. It is most common as a way of eating lunch or having a quick snack.

For frittata, eggs are beaten and combined with different flavours, sometimes just herbs or cheese, or vegetables. There are infinite variations. The beaten egg mixture is cooked till set (not runny) and served - usually at room temperature and cut into wedges. The frittata can also be eaten as a light meal and would then usually be eaten freshly cooked and hot.

Unlike omelettes, frittata is cooked slowly and right through- the centre should not be runny, but it should retain some moisture..

Depending on the other flavourings used, the frittata can be cooked with butter or with olive oil.

To cook on both sides, either toss the pan and flip the frittata or slide it onto a plate, turn the plate upside down and return it to the pan to cook on the other side. Or, it can finish cooking under a grill. . You can also make a frittata in a ‘tart’ form and bake in a well greased dish in the oven.

The serves from the following recipes depend on what else is being eaten. If the frittata is the only antipasto dish, the quantities will serve 4. More if incorporated with other dishes.