Soft Agretti Frittata: the perfect spring main course!
Spring brings unique colors and flavors to the table, and among the season's undisputed stars are agretti, also known as monk's beard. If you love leafy greens and are looking for an alternative to classic sautéed Swiss chard or sautéed spinach, this recipe is for you.
- Cleaned agretti (monk's beard) will be approximately 250 g. 300 g
- Salt for boiling water for agretti
- Cipolla 120 gr
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
- 30g grated Grana Padano
- 2 medium eggs
- 30g breadcrumbs
- Start by cleaning the agretti: take each tuft and remove the final part with the root using a knife or kitchen scissors.
- Transfer the agretti to a bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak for a few minutes, drain, and repeat the process 3 or 4 times. Finally, rinse them thoroughly under running water to remove any remaining dirt.
- Boil the agretti in plenty of salted water for 7-8 minutes. Drain and let cool, then squeeze well with your hands to remove all excess water.
- Peel the onion and slice it thinly, then roughly chop the agretti.
- In a nonstick pan (ø 22 cm), heat a drizzle of oil and sauté the onion over low heat until tender. Once ready, transfer it to a large bowl along with the agretti.
- Season with salt and add the Grana Padano, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Stir thoroughly until well combined.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in the same pan and pour in the mixture, smoothing it out with a spoon. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Flip the frittata using a flat plate and cook for another 10 minutes on the other side.
- Let the frittata cool for a few minutes, then cut it into wedges. You can serve it immediately or enjoy it at room temperature: it's also excellent prepared a few hours ahead!
This lightly pan-fried agretti frittata is a hearty and flavorful main course, ideal for a quick lunch or a day trip. Unlike the basic frittata, the addition of breadcrumbs and the double cooking technique (boiling and sautéing with onion) create a rich, hearty texture. It's a versatile dish that pairs perfectly with other spring classics, such as the asparagus frittata, its more rustic variant, the wild asparagus frittata, or the incredibly sweet pea frittata.
If you're short on time, you could opt for a microwave frittata, but to bring out the mineral flavor of monk's beard, slow cooking in a pan is unbeatable. This recipe completes our journey through the flavors of the garden, alongside the artichoke frittata and the flavorful fava bean frittata. Let's discover together how to perfectly clean monk's beard and achieve impeccable results!
Doses & Ingredients
- Very low difficulty
- Low cost
- Average food availability
- Salt for the agretti boiling water - to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVO) to taste
