Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Frittata

A quick scan of my pantry and fridge revealed a wrinkly red pepper, a quarter-loaf of stale Italian bread and a mound of budding potatoes.

Some cooks would gather these past-prime foods and head for the compost bin. Instead I pulled out a skillet.

I knew I had perfect fixings for a frittata.

An Italian comfort-food staple, frittata redeems any and all leftovers. Why throw out those delectable tidbits when you can fold them into beaten eggs, add Parmesan and lemon zest and serve forth a delicious meal?

One of those rare dishes that makes a comfy meal for one, frittata also stretches beautifully for a crowd. Serve it for dinner with a salad or side of sautéed vegetables and rustic bread.


Frittata is, of course, the perfect main course for breakfasts and brunches. And for a memorable lunch, cut frittata into wedges and sandwich it between two slices of Italian bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Frittata additions

Happily, when prepared with care, frittata never tastes like leftovers. While you can throw in just about any ingredient, give some thought to flavor combinations.

Cruise your fridge and consider adding…

• Leftover cooked or frozen vegetables
• Grated cheese
• Leftover meat or chicken, boned and chopped
• Pan-fried onions or potatoes
• Pesto
• Olives
• Bread—cut in chunks, crushed into crumbs, toasted or fresh
• Fresh or dried herbs

Don’t leave out the lemon zest

To pull frittata flavors together, add lemon zest. Don’t worry about the citrus overpowering other ingredients: it won’t. Instead, lemon zest softens uber-egginess and adds signature flavor notes that you’ve tasted in other rustic Italian foods, like Hearty Minestrone Soup.

Roast Red Pepper and Potato Frittata Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
1 roasted red pepper, home-roasted or jarred, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, crushed
8 eggs
½ cup toasted breadcrumbs, homemade or store-bought
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Zest of one lemon—about ½ teaspoon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. If using homemade breadcrumbs, preheat oven to 400 degrees and follow directions below. You can make the breadcrumbs as you cook this recipe’s potatoes; see next step.
2. Peel and cube potatoes.
3. In cast iron or other ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high flame.
4. When oil is fragrant, toss in potatoes and stir. Season potatoes with salt and pepper, stirring and frying them for about five minutes. Cover pan, lower flame and cook for another five minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through. Remove cover and continue to pan fry until potato cubes are crispy outside.
5. Push potatoes to sides of pan, turn up flame slightly and add sliced roasted red pepper. For home-roasted peppers, see how to make easy oven-roasted peppers.
6. Pan fry pepper in center of pan for 1-2 minutes until its juices are absorbed. Add garlic and stir vegetables together, frying them for a minute or two more.
7. In the meantime, beat eggs in a medium bowl or large Pyrex measuring cup. Stir in breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
8. Pour egg mixture over pepper and potatoes in skillet.
9. Lower flame and cook eggs, allowing them to set without stirring for about 10-15 minutes—the time will vary depending on the size of your skillet and depth of the egg mixture. If eggs are not solidifying, try covering the skillet, reducing flame to lowest level and continuing to cook until they are almost set.
10. As you cook the frittata, periodically run a spatula around the sides of the pan, scooping carfully underneath the frittata bottom to loosen it.
11. When eggs are almost firm, sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top.
12. Turn broiler up to full and run frittata under the flame to finish cooking the eggs and melt the cheese.
13. Let frittata cool slightly. Run spatula around side and bottom of frittata to loosen. Slide onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Homemade toasted breadcrumbs

Toasted breadcrumbs are a terrific staple and they satisfy my frugal foodie itch: I hate waste and refuse to throw out bread ends or stale slices. Instead I toss all leftover bread into a ziplock bag and store in the freezer.

Later I prepare toasted breadcrumbs in quantity, use what I need and store the rest. Toasted breadcrumbs freeze beautifully.

You can use breadcrumbs in Romesco sauce, meat loaf, tossed with buttered Brussels sprouts or green beans, in frittata and much more.

Toasted breadcrumbs recipe
½ loaf baguette, Italian bread—heck, any leftover bread works well.
That’s all!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut bread into 1/2” slices.
3. Lay sliced bread in center of cookie sheet or jelly roll pan—bread placed too close to the pan’s edge burns.
4. Slide cookie sheet into the oven. Toast for 5-6 minutes. Check underside of bread slices. When they are slightly golden, turn slices over.
5. Return cookie sheet to oven and toast for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove bread slices from oven and let cool slightly.
7. Pulverize bread slices in a food processor or blender.
8. Store bread crumbs in a tightly sealed food container—I prefer glass—and freeze.