Left over pasta is covered with a leek and shallot confit, egg substitute, and mozzarella cheese. Then it’s topped with ricotta cheese and baked until deliciously golden. Ricotta Pasta Frittata is a quick and tasty #meatfree meal. 

Okay, to say I’m loving my new kitchen is an understatement. The counter top is HUGE and I have a nice spot next to the sliding glass door to take delicious pictures. Granted, we’re home a little later and don’t get gorgeous light like this, but there’s plenty of light that I can still take some pictures before we eat and then take more with my left overs at work.

No, these weren’t taken at work.

Yesterday was a snow day for me. Yup. I’m writing this post the day after this recipe happened. I’m hoping to get a little more organized as our weekends aren’t as filled up with house stuff as it has been the last couple of weekends. This Saturday we have to drive out to Herndon to return the stupid Cox Cable boxes.

 

*insert small rant*

I don’t get it. The reason I’m cancelling my service is because I’m moving and you’re not available in my area, otherwise I’d be moving my service. So, to say that you can only send the return boxes to my old address makes NO SENSE WHAT SO EVER! Um…I moved. I no longer live there. Dish, Comcast, DirectTV; they all sent return boxes to the new address. I don’t see why you have to be so special that I have drive 30+ miles to return your equipment. But if I don’t, you’re going to charge me for the boxes.

Makes no sense.

Okay, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post.

This recipe happened because I have left over pasta. Not in the form of oops I cooked too much and have left over. More in the form of I have a small amount in this box and it’s screwing up with my portion ratios so I need to do something with it type of left over. So, be it a small amount in the box left over or a small amount of extra cooked pasta, you can easily use whatever left over pasta you have on hand. Short, long, medium, long broken into small, bits and pieces of broken pieces in a box; it honestly doesn’t really matter. Just…pasta.

Since I had that left over bit, I was trying to figure out what to make with it all. Spaghetti pie? Pasta pie? Pasta frittata? OH! Wait a minute! Since I love alliteration, I went with …

Ricotta Pasta Frittata!!

I know. I’m a dork. But it just rolls off the tongue so nicely. Ricotta pasta frittata. See what I mean? It’s also very tasty on the tongue.

There’s not a lot of salt and lot of herbs in this recipe. I wanted the flavor of the leek and shallot confit to shine. It was delicious and added this amazingly sweet flavor to the creamy of the mozzarella and the ricotta. Then there’s a hint of some garlic and some thyme. For me, thyme and leeks are like bacon and eggs. Mmmm bacon.

That’s for another frittata.

Now, I’ve marked this recipe as easy. Yes, it seems like a lot, but it’s a lot of set it and forget type of steps. Honestly. The confit can cook on medium-low to almost low for a good 5 to 10 minutes without really stirring it. As long as your lid circulates the condensation back to the pan, you shouldn’t have any problems with it burning. Just remember, the lower the temperature the better. Not so low that you barely see the flame or it barely makes any sound cooking. You still want to hear a little bit of a hiss as it cooks.

Then once that’s done you assemble and bake. Another set it and forget it moment. Just check it after 30 depending on your oven. You don’t want the edges to get too brown, but want the custard in the center to set. Give the pan the shake test. If there’s wiggle in the middle, then let it continue cooking. While it’s cooking you can whip up some garlic bread and toss it in to heat up with the frittata. I forgot this step, so we didn’t have bread to go with.

I did whip up a deliciously simple spinach salad with some spinach – DUH – some red onion and some blood oranges. I sectioned the oranges over a bowl to catch the juice which I added to some store bought Italian dressing. It was a rather nice addition to our hearty and simple meatfree meal.

 

Meatless Casseroles for Lent

Marvelous Meatless Meals

• Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Herb Bread Pudding by Wholistic Woman
• Baked Eggplant Parmesan Casserole by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Baked Mushroom Fettuccine by Delaware Girl Eats
• Cheesy Mushroom Marsala Pasta Casserole by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
• Greens and Pea Manicotti by Food Lust People Love
• Leek and Swiss Chard Gratin by Caroline’s Cooking
• Mushroom Breakfast Casserole by Brunch-n-Bites
• Raisin Bread Cheddar Strata by Pies and Plots
• Ricotta Pasta Frittata by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Roasted Vegetable Lasagna by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tex Mex Vegetarian Bake Freestyle Recipe by Positively Stacey
• Spaghetti Squash Parmesan Casserole by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Spinach Ravioli Bake by Our Good Life
• Spinach Ricotta Pasta Bake by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère by Cooking Chat
• Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with Chickpea Curry by Sunday Supper Movement
• Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie by Simple and Savory
• Veggie & Quinoa Baked Stuffed Peppers by Hardly A Goddess