Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Time: 40 minutes, including time to cook the pasta
Spaghetti, eggs, and cheese, with a creamy center and burnished brown lid: This is Italian comfort food and your new weeknight hero. Like any frittata, it’s both practical and tremendously versatile, but it’s also substantial and luxurious, equally good at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Add up to 1 cup chopped cooked vegetables or 2 cups tender greens, like spinach; swap out the cheeses; make the rich, creamy carbonara variation; or try Pasta “Quiche” for something eggier. This is best with slightly undercooked pasta because it continues to cook as the pie bakes, or use leftover pasta instead.
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the pasta until barely tender, a minute or 2 short of where you would normally eat it. Drain and immediately toss it in a wide bowl with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Set aside to cool for a bit. (You can use leftover pasta too. In that case, melt the butter and toss it with the pasta; the pasta doesn’t have to be warm.)
2. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, then fold in the pasta until combined (tongs make this easy). Stir in the cheese and toss to coat.
3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and immediately decrease the heat to medium-low; use a spoon if necessary to even out the top of the frittata, but don’t worry about getting it too perfect since you want some uneven edges to brown. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture firms up on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the top is just cooked. If you like, broil the pie for 2 or 3 minutes, until the top is deeply browned. Remove and serve wedges hot or at room temperature.
Carbonara Pasta Pie Swap the Parmesan for pecorino Romano and fold ½ cup chopped cooked pancetta, bacon, or guanciale into the mixture along with the cheese.
Pasta “Quiche” The focus here is more on the eggs, with the pasta almost serving as a filling; to make it a real quiche, bake it in a Savory Tart Crust, which is wonderfully excessive for any carb lover: Use only 4 ounces dried pasta (2 cups leftover cooked pasta); if you like, combine ½ cup whole milk or cream with the eggs before adding the pasta.
Customizing Vegetable Fillings and Toppings
Experimenting with baking vegetables is easy, fun, and rewarding. Certain flavors—like Parmesan, fresh parsley, or a crisp topper of bread crumbs—are almost always welcome, and vegetables like onions and garlic go with nearly everything, so I’ve left those off this list. Otherwise, feel free to mix and match as you please, erring on the conservative side with unfamiliar ingredients until you know how much you like. Note that vegetables run a wide range in terms of preparation, so glance at How to Prep Any Vegetable for Savory Baking for any necessary precooking before you proceed.
VEGETABLE: Artichoke hearts
CHEESE: Mozzarella, fontina, cheddar
GOOD WITH: Grated lemon zest
Hollandaise sauce
Dried tomatoes
Minced fresh oregano or thyme
Chopped fresh basil or tarragon
VEGETABLE: Asparagus or green beans
CHEESE: Ricotta, fresh goat cheese, mascarpone
GOOD WITH: Grated lemon or orange zest
Grated fresh ginger
Chopped toasted nuts
Minced fresh chives or rosemary
VEGETABLE: Beets
CHEESE: Fresh goat cheese, manchego, blue cheese, Gruyère
GOOD WITH: Grated orange zest
Minced fresh thyme
Chopped toasted nuts
VEGETABLE: Bell peppers or mild chile peppers
CHEESE: Mozzarella, feta, queso fresco
GOOD WITH: Chopped fresh cilantro
Pesto
VEGETABLE: Broccoli or cauliflower
CHEESE: Ricotta, Gouda, cheddar, provolone
GOOD WITH: Grated lemon zest
Anchovies
VEGETABLE: Butternut, acorn, delicata, pumpkin, or other winter squash
CHEESE: Ricotta, Gouda, Gruyère
GOOD WITH: Minced fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary
Chopped toasted nuts
Ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, za’atar, curry powder, paprika, or a blend
VEGETABLE: Cabbage (red or green), Brussels sprouts, or radicchio
CHEESE: Cheddar, Gruyère, fontina
GOOD WITH: Caraway seeds
VEGETABLE: Carrots or parsnips
CHEESE: Feta, queso fresco, ricotta salata
GOOD WITH: Grated orange zest
Grated fresh ginger
Cumin
Spice blends like za’atar
VEGETABLE: Corn
CHEESE: Ricotta, fresh goat cheese, cheddar, queso fresco, ricotta salata
GOOD WITH: Eggplant, summer squash, and/or tomatoes
Minced fresh thyme or rosemary
Chopped fresh mint or basil
Chili powder
VEGETABLE: Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, watercress, chard, and the like)
CHEESE: Ricotta, fresh goat cheese, cheddar, Gruyère
GOOD WITH: Grated lemon zest
Chopped toasted nuts
VEGETABLE: Eggplant
CHEESE: Mozzarella, fontina, feta, provolone
GOOD WITH: Corn, summer squash, and/or tomatoes
Roasted garlic
Ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, za’atar, or a blend
VEGETABLE: Fennel
CHEESE: Parmesan, manchego, Gruyère, goat cheese, feta
GOOD WITH: Grated orange zest
Black or green olives
Chopped fresh mint or dill
Minced fresh thyme or oregano
Tomatoes and/or eggplant
VEGETABLE: Mushrooms
CHEESE: Fresh goat cheese, blue cheese, Gruyère, cheddar
GOOD WITH: Minced fresh thyme or rosemary
Dijon mustard
Caramelized onions or minced fresh garlic
VEGETABLE: Peas
CHEESE: Ricotta, fresh goat cheese, pecorino Romano, feta, ricotta salata
GOOD WITH: Grated lemon zest
Chopped fresh mint or tarragon
Dijon mustard
VEGETABLE: Potatoes
CHEESE: Cheddar, Gouda, cream cheese, Gruyère
GOOD WITH: Dijon mustard
Capers
VEGETABLE: Summer squash and zucchini
CHEESE: Ricotta, fresh goat cheese, cheddar, queso fresco, provolone
GOOD WITH: Grated lemon zest
Sliced scallions
Chopped fresh mint or basil
Corn, eggplant, and/or tomatoes
Pesto
Capers
VEGETABLE: Sweet potatoes
CHEESE: Ricotta, fresh goat cheese, Gruyère, Gouda, manchego
GOOD WITH: Minced fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary
Pesto
Chopped toasted nuts
Ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, za’atar, or a blend
VEGETABLE: Tomatoes
CHEESE: Nearly any cheese, particularly mozzarella, fontina, feta, Brie, fresh goat cheese, and cheddar
GOOD WITH: Corn, eggplant, and/or summer squash
Roasted garlic
Minced fresh oregano, thyme, or rosemary
Chopped fresh mint, basil, dill, chives, or tarragon
Chopped olives
Pesto
Anchovies