Chickpea & Rosemary Frittata

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A frittata is just an Italian version of an omelette. Having a good frittata recipe in your repertoire is an incredibly useful idea. When you need a quick vegetarian protein hit, there are few things more satisfying. The recipe in 5 ingredients | 10 minutes is slightly different in that its cooked in a frying pan. This baked version takes slightly longer but is much easier to cook.

I love this frittata with the fragrance of rosemary and the comfort of chickpeas. It’s all day dining really. Weekend breakfast or brunch? Just add hot buttered toast. Light lunch? Add a green salad. Simple supper? A generous glass of wine and you’re good to go.

It also makes a wonderful sandwich filling.

enough for 2
Takes: 20 minutes
4 eggs
large handful freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz), drained
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F) and place a baking tray on the middle shelf.

2. Line a 20cm (8in) spring form pan with baking paper & grease generously with olive oil.

3. Whisk together lightly eggs and parmesan. Season.

4. Place chickpeas in the prepared tin. Pour over the egg mixture & scatter over the rosemary. Season.

5. Place on the preheated tray and bake until golden and puffy and the center feels firm and springy, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Variations

vegan – tough one. Best to try scrambled tofu instead – equally as versatile. Although I should try a baked tofu dish one day.

carnivore – replace chickpeas with 2 sliced chorizo or crumble some pork sausages in a pan and cook until just browned & scatter over the egg mixture before baking. OR add chopped bacon or pancetta!

asparagus frittata – grill a large bunch of asparagus (or steam) until tender. Skip the chickpeas, pour egg mixture into the pan and top with the asparagus spears.

change the cheese type -cheddar would be lovely, or crumbled feta, I’ve made it with parmesan and ricotta with excellent results. Pretty much most cheese would be lovely either grated or crumbled.

change where the cheese is added – sprinkle parmesan or other cheese on top for a wonderful golden crust.

change the chickpeas – replace with canned white beans, butter beans, or even canned lentils.

add onions – an onion and potato version would be similar to the wonderful Spanish classic – tortilla espana

tomato & basil – ditch the chickpeas and rosemary and scatter with halved cherry tomatoes. Serve with fresh basil leaves or pesto on top.

treat it as a gluten free ‘pizza’ – skip the chickpeas and rosemary and top the egg mixture with your favourite pizza toppings.

carb lovers / more substantial – slice frittata and serve in well buttered bread rolls like the Spanish do.

low carb / paleo – replace chickpeas with 2 extra eggs.

paleo (grain, legume & dairy-free) – replace chickpeas with 2 extra eggs. Use roast veg or sun dried tomatoes to flavour instead of the parmesan.

more veg – add grilled veg like red peppers, eggplant or zucchini to the frittata.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

eggs – will keep in the fridge for a month or so.

parmesan cheese – keeps in the fridge for months. Can be frozen.

chickpeas – pantry.

rosemary – will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag for months. Can be frozen.

Problem Solving Guide

too runny – probably not baked through the centre. Pop it back in the oven for a little longer.

leaking watery fluid – woops. When eggs are overcooked you get a phenomenon called syneresis where the protein looses the ability to hold water so you get watery fluid weeping out. Not the nicest but it won’t hurt you if you eat it. Next time cook it less.

frittata sticking to the pan – unfortunately one of the downsides of this method is the egg likes to stick to the pan. So it’s important to grease well and line the pan with baking paper. Foil tends to stick worse than baking paper for some reason.

don’t have a springform pan? – a cake tin with a removable base will work or even an ovenproof dish. Just make sure you line the base and sides and leave some paper overhanging so you can lift it out when it’s done.

Serving Suggestions

Serve warm with a classic green salad or green bean salad with dill.

Drizzle over some pesto and serve with a fresh tomato salad for something a bit different.

Serve warm or cool, sliced as a sandwich filling with mayo and a handful of salad greens.

Leftover Potential

Excellent. Either serve cold or gently reheat in the oven for 5 minutes or so.

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