Pasta for Breakfast...Again!

Way back when, before Cat opened Faubourg Wines, before Neil & Monica launched their Vending Machine Wines label, a small group of us started a pretty amazing dinner club. There were wacky themes, super creative food, great beverages, fun conversation and good times for all involved.  But as things tend to go in this world, lives changed, babies were born, relationships ended, people moved and the DC 10 was no more.

One of our last get togethers with the entire group was a DC10 brunch and really a highlight for all of us; the Saints were in the middle of the playoffs of their historic 2009 season, Mardi Gras was right around the corner and the entire city was on one big collective high.  Our contribution that day was a pretty complicated pasta dish where we made large ravioli stuffed with the usual ricotta and herb filling, but then topped it off with a fresh egg yoke before covering it with the 2nd sheet of pasta. We boiled them, just like you do regular ravioli and then plated them drizzled in melted butter and a little pancetta. Sunnyside up with a side of bacon, Italian style and our first pasta for breakfast!

So after a long bike ride yesterday, I was craving eggs and wanted to make a traditional Italian Frittata.  I searched 4 or 5 of my favorite cookbooks until I can across this one with a little twist in Frances and Edward Mayes Under the Tuscan Sun; Pasta Frittata.  A quick note on the book itself - it's a great compilation of recipes from their friends and neighbors in our favorite little Tuscan town of Cortona.  I've made quite a few of the dishes in the book and find them simple, fresh and really delicious, as traditional Italian food should be.  

So here is a much less complicated but really flavorful dish using plain, leftover pasta.  I've changed things just slightly from the original and added comments when I did so.  Kerry and I ate the whole thing with the best bacon we've ever had made by our friend Steve.  And for a pairing?  I had too much to do yesterday to have alcohol with breakfast but a dry, full bodied Italian sparkling like the Berlucchi Brut or Ferrari Brut would have been heavenly. 

Pasta Frittata

1 onion finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup milk

6 eggs (I used 5)

+ 2 cups whole brown beech mushrooms (I added these and used the whole pack from wholefoods)

1 cup leftover cooked pasta (I used farfalle)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

1 large tomato sliced

1 handful of parsley chopped

In an oven proof skillet, over medium heat add oil and sauté the onion and mushrooms until onions are translucent about 3 minutes.  

In a bowl beat the milk into the eggs.  Stir the pasta, seasonings and cheese into the eggs and pour into the pan.  Arrange the tomato slices on top of the egg mixture and cook for about 8 minutes over medium low heat until it is semi-set.  (this was not enough time on my stove, we added an extra 3 minutes)

Sprinkle the parsley and put under a preheated broiler for 1 minute.  Make sure it doesn't burn on the top.