START TO FINISH: 45 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Italians are known to use leftover pasta as a filling for frittatas. In this recipe, we use spaghetti or bucatini (a tubular pasta similar to spaghetti) for a frittata enriched with cheese and seasoned with parsley and thyme. For the best flavor and texture, we used two kinds of cheese: Parmesan for its salty-sweet nuttiness and sharp or extra-sharp white cheddar for its creaminess. Gruyère is a good alternative to cheddar.
Don’t forget to rinse the pasta after draining. Rinsing halts the cooking so the pasta won’t continue to soften as it waits to go into the skillet. And don’t use a conventional skillet. A nonstick coating allows the frittata to slide out of the pan. Make sure the skillet is oven-safe, as the frittata finishes cooking in a 350°F oven.
4 ounces spaghetti or bucatini, broken in half
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8 large eggs
2 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese (½ cup), divided
½ ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (¼ cup)
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain, then rinse under cold water. Spread on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in ¾ cup of the cheddar, the Parmesan, parsley and thyme.
In an oven-safe 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the leek and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to another plate and let cool for 2 minutes, then fold into the egg mixture.
Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and heat over medium until shimmering. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and fold with a silicone spatula. Continue to gently fold and scrape the sides of the pan, allowing the uncooked egg to flow to the sides. Once the eggs begin to thicken and set, after about 1 minute, smooth the top and cook the frittata undisturbed until the bottom is deep golden brown, another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheddar and transfer to the oven. Bake until the eggs are set at the center, 10 to 15 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Run a silicone spatula around the edge and underneath the frittata to loosen, then slide onto a serving plate and cut into wedges.