MAKING FRITTATA Podcast with Maria Liberati

Zucchini Frittata: Baked or Fried?

I was surprised when a friend mentioned baking a zucchini frittata using a recipe from Ottolenghi’s Simple. Intrigued, I pulled out my copy of the cookbook to investigate. Could Ottolenghi, with his Italian heritage, have baked a frittata? (I’m joking, of course—I deeply admire his work!) But honestly, if I were to bake a mixture of zucchini and eggs, I’d simply call it a zucchini bake.

In Italian, frittata stems from fritta, meaning fried. Similarly, fritto (masculine) as in fritto misto translates to “mixed fried food.” But enough Italian grammar—this post is about the frittata, not linguistics.

Frittata Talk with Maria Liberati

Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Maria Liberati for her podcast. From my Covid state-wide lockdown in Melbourne, I connected with Maria in Pennsylvania to discuss the humble yet versatile frittata. She came across an old post of mine, An Authentic Frittata, which I wrote for Janet Clarkson’s popular blog, The Old Foodie (back in December 2008). I’d nearly forgotten about it, but my thoughts on frittate (plural) remain the same.

We touched on Claudia Roden, a culinary hero of mine, though I disagree with her claim that frittate are uncommon in Sicily and Sardinia. In my experience, frittate are simple, everyday dishes found throughout Italy, though often so ordinary they don’t always make it into cookbooks. Also in Sicilian a frittata is called a Millassata. Could this be why Roden found so few references of recipes from Sicily?

The Art (and Simplicity) of Making a Frittata

In that The Old Foodie (back in December 2008) post, I began with:
“Every national cuisine has certain rules and customs.”
Baking a frittata in Italy, however, is not one of them.

But I understand why frying might seem intimidating. A classic frittata—like the zucchini and pecorino one I made recently—is cooked on the stovetop, flipped carefully, and finished on the other side. It’s not as scary as it sounds!

If you are lucky enough to have some zucchini flowers, add them towards the end of the sautéing process of the zucchini. The flowers can also be sautéed on their own to make a delicate Frittata di Fiori di Zucchine (a Zucchini Flower Frittata). Parmesan or Ricotta could replace the stronger tasting Pecorino cheese. Pretty special!

Here’s how I do it:

Sauté zucchini in extra virgin olive oil with garlic and parsley until just tender.

Beat eggs with a fork, add salt, pepper, and grated pecorino cheese, then mix in the zucchini.

Pour the mixture into a hot, oiled pan.

Use a spatula to gently press the top and lift the edges, allowing uncooked egg to flow underneath.

Cover the pan with a plate, flip the pan over.

Once set, invert the frittata onto a plate and slide it back into the pan to cook the other side.

For beginners, I recommend starting with a smaller pan and fewer eggs (six to eight max). A round pan works best for even cooking, and keeping the frittata manageable in size makes flipping much easier.

Regional Variations: North vs. South

Maria and I agreed that Italian cooking is highly regional, and this applies to frittate. Having grown up in Trieste with Sicilian roots, I’ve seen these differences firsthand.

Cuisine is localised, each region has prepared specialities based on their produce and cultural influences.

Trieste was a very important port  for much of that north eastern part of Italy that  were part of the Austro – Hungarian Empire. Surrounding countries that influenced the history and culture were Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Croatia is not too far away.

Sicily was an important trade route in a strategic location in the Mediterranean and was settled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians,  Arabs, Normans, French, Spaniards.

Fats: Butter or butter-oil blends in the north; olive oil in the south.

Ingredients: Northern frittate might feature prosciutto, cheese, or even apples, while southern versions lean heavily on vegetables like zucchini or ricotta.

Binders: Breadcrumbs are common in the south to absorb vegetable moisture; northern recipes sometimes add flour or milk.

Cheeses: Parmigiano in the north; pecorino, caciocavallo, or ricotta salata in the south.

Tradition Meets Experimentation

Cooking evolves, and while I respect traditional recipes, I’m open to thoughtful experimentation. For instance, my mother often overcooked vegetables, finding my sautéed ones too al dente. Yet, we can adapt traditional methods to suit modern tastes, like using Australian Warrigal greens in place of spinach. It’s about honoring tradition while embracing innovation.

This spring, I’m inspired by new produce—artichokes, zucchini flowers, spring peas—for my next frittate. Below is one I made with wild asparagus, a simple yet satisfying celebration of the season.

Thank you, Maria, for the opportunity to discuss such a delightful topic! For more on my frittata adventures, check out the links below or listen to our conversation on The Maria Liberati Show.

Below a photo of Warrigal greens.

Below is a frittata I cooked with wild asparagus.

Some links:

Recipes on my blog for making Frittata:

ASPARAGI DI BOSCO and FRITTATINA (Wild Asparagus continued, and Frittata)

WILD ASPARAGUS IN SICILY AND TUNIS (ASPARAGI SELVATICI)

BOOK SIGNING OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT READINGS (and Fennel Frittata)

FRITTATA: SAUSAGE and RICOTTA

SPRING PICNIC; Frittata with artichokes and asparagus

The Maria Liberati Show

Podcast: A Sicilian Frittata Story
 54 mins

This week Maria discusses the power of food to take us to new places – this time, to Sicily – where we’ll enjoy a simple frittata. Joining her today is Marisa Raniolo Wilkins, a passionate food writer, blogger and recipe developer from Sicily.

To hear this podcast, click HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK SIGNING OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT READINGS (and Fennel Frittata)

Christine Gordon intros Marisa @ Readings
EVENT | Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6:30pm

Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Food, wine, book signing
Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122
The event was organised by Christine Gordon.
 

After this event I went home and made a wild fennel frittata and had it with a bottle of Rocky Passes Estate syrah – a very fine wine and the only bottle left over from the book signing event held in Readings in Hawthorn (Sicilian Seafood Cooking).

readings

Friends Vitto Oles & Candi Westney own and run Rocky Passes Estate and they graciously donated the wine for the Readings event.

Rocky Passes bottle 2

Vitto is the viticulturist and wine-maker of exceptionally good Syrah and Candi is just as important because she is responsible for the entertainment – the music concerts, performances and art exhibitions. Both manage the cellar door and the range of appetising Argentinian/Spanish inspired morsels (tapas) that are available when you visit their winery.

Rocky Passes Estate is at the spectacular southern end of the Strathbogie Ranges, near Seymour in Victoria. If you look at their wine label you will notice two eagles – these birds are often soaring above their very attractive property.

The winery is relatively new and had its first vintage of Syrah in 2004 and every vintage since has been highly rated by James Halliday. The winery is open Sundays 11-5pm or by appointment and Tapas also served onthe last Friday of the month as well as during art openings and special events.

I love wild fennel and when I find it I use it.

Fennel fronds

I have written about frittata in a previous post and as you see it is not difficult to make. The fennel can be replaced by any wilted green vegetable, for example spinach, endives, spring onions or asparagus.

Wild greens are superb or you can use bulb fennel, but keep the greens.You can vary the amounts of vegetables but as a general guide I would use 3-4 eggs to a cup of greens. For this frittata I used 12 eggs and it fed 4 of us (we were greedy).
Remember to use a spatula to lift the cooked part of the frittata as it cooks and release the uncooked egg. Need I say that I only use free range eggs?

Frittata cooking

Then flip it over – I used a pizza tray. Finally, slide the frittata out. At the Readings book signing event I accompanied the Rocky passes with green Sicilian olives  (olive schiacciate), marinaded anchovies.

P1090706

Marianna Di Bartolo from Dolcetti made more fish shaped biscuits for this occasion and once again these were perfectly matched with Brown Brothers’ Zibibbo.

Zibbibo[1]

And once again it was an other fine celebration for Sicilian Seafood Cooking.