California Asparagus Frittata With Red Bell Pepper And Feta

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed
• salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 10 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine, cut in bits, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 6 lemon wedges, for garnish
• 6 sprigs italian parsley or 6 sprigs chives, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350ºf.
• 2 to blanch asparagus, in a large frying pan, bring approximately 3 inch of water to a boil.
• 3 stir in 1 tbs. salt.
• 4 add asparagus; arrange in one layer.
• 5 cook at a medium boil until slightly underdone, about 3 minutes, depending on thickness.
• 6 drain on paper towel; cool. (recipe can be made ahead to this point. refrigerate cooled asparagus until ready to continue.).
• 7 to prepare egg mixture, whisk parsley, water, 1/4 teaspoons salt, and pepper into egg; stir in cheese; reserve.
• 8 to cook frittata, reserving one whole per serving, cut remaining asparagus at an angle into 1 inch pieces; reserve.
• 9 in a heavy (or non-stick) oven-proof, 12 inch frying pan (with a cover) sauté bell pepper in olive oil until barely tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
• 10 stir butter into pan.
• 11 stir in onion and reserved asparagus pieces; sauté for 1 minute.
• 12 pour egg mixture into pan, quickly stirring gently without scraping the bottom of the pan to distribute vegetables.
• 13 bake on the middle rack of oven, covered, for 10 minutes.
• 14 remove cover; bake until edges are browned, eggs are set, and center is just form to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• 15 let frittata rest 5 minutes.
• 16 loosen the sides and bottom of frittata with a narrow, flexible spatula, then carefully cover pan (which will still be hot) with a large, warmed serving platter.
• 17 protecting your hands with potholders, flip frying pan over onto platter.
• 18 alternatively, serve frittata in the pan,
• 19 cut frittata into wedges; garnish each with the reserved asparagus spears, lemon wedges (to squeeze into frittata), and sprigs of parsley or chives.