Frittata di Maccheroni
L'Arte dell'Arrangiarsi: Weeknight Cucina Povera
Cook extra pasta on Sunday just to slide a stiff brick of day-old spaghetti directly into a 10-inch skillet on Monday, skipping the fussy frittatas that drown a few noodles in a dozen eggs. A couple of eggs and Pecorino Romano bind a mountain of pasta, but the real secret is the breadcrumbs hitting the hot oil first, building a savory crust while the egg hisses. Slide it onto a cutting board, slice it like pizza, and eat it standing at the kitchen counter on a Tuesday night.
Before you start
Chill your pasta.
The structural magic of this dish relies on the starch in the pasta retrograding, or firming up, overnight in the fridge. Fresh, warm pasta will disintegrate into mush.
Start from scratch if you must.
If you don't have leftovers, boil 14 ounces of spaghetti until al dente, toss with a cup and a half of thick marinara, and let it cool completely in the fridge before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
- leftover cooked spaghetti14 oz
- eggs3 large
- Pecorino Romano1 cup
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- plain fine dry breadcrumbs1/4 cup
- extra-virgin olive oil4 tbsp
Method
- 01
Beat the eggs and coat the pasta.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until uniform, then stir in the grated Pecorino, black pepper, and salt. Add the cold, sauce-coated spaghetti and use your hands or tongs to toss aggressively until every strand is coated, forming a sticky, cohesive mass.
- 02
Build the crust in a hot skillet.
Place a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat, add two tablespoons of the olive oil, and swirl to coat. Once the oil is shimmering, sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs evenly across the bottom of the pan to instantly sizzle.
- 03
Compress the pasta and fry the first side.
Immediately transfer the pasta mixture into the skillet and use a sturdy spatula to press it down firmly into a tight, compact cake. Let it cook entirely undisturbed for 6 to 8 minutes until the bottom forms a rigid, deeply golden-brown crust.
- 04
Confidently invert the frittata.
Remove the pan from the heat and place a flat plate upside down over the skillet. Wearing oven mitts, press one hand firmly on the center of the plate, grasp the pan handle with the other, and quickly invert the pan so the frittata drops onto the plate.
- 05
Fry the second side.
Return the empty skillet to medium heat, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil, and dust the pan with the remaining breadcrumbs. Carefully slide the frittata off the plate and back into the skillet, raw-side down, pressing it flat to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
- 06
Rest the frittata before slicing.
Slide the finished frittata onto a cutting board and leave it alone for at least 15 minutes. This cooling period allows the starches to set, ensuring it will slice perfectly into wedges like a cake without falling apart.
Notes
Mind the moisture.
If your leftover pasta has an excessively watery sauce, it will steam instead of fry. Fix this by adding an extra handful of Pecorino and breadcrumbs directly into the egg mixture to absorb the ambient liquid.
Leftovers of leftovers.
Wrap remaining wedges tightly in aluminum foil. They are spectacular eaten cold from the fridge the next day; whatever you do, avoid the microwave, which will ruin your hard-earned crispy crust.