THE WASHINGTON POST – Let’s face it. There are some nights when all you want for dinner is something fast, thrifty and delicious. If a recipe can help me use up leftovers, too, that’s a bonus.
This Cheesy Pasta and Beef Frittata hits the mark. It’s from a colourful cookbook, “The Story of Pasta and How to Cook It!” by Steven Guarnaccia, an illustrator, designer and emeritus professor at Parsons School of Design in New York.
The slender book, with playful drawings and heaping helpings of humour, is geared toward young cooks or those young at heart who want to explore the many shapes and sizes of pasta, and get advice on the best ways to use each one.
Guarnaccia, author and illustrator of numerous children’s books, includes pithy little asides like: “In this book, we talk about pasta ears, tongues and elbows. There is also a pasta that is like little belly buttons,” referring to tortellini. He explains that tortellini actually translates as “little cakes,” and recommends tossing them with green goddess dressing.
If you’ve got a little pasta lover in the house, or just want an easy guide to its many, many variations, this cookbook might be just the thing. It’s breezy and fun, but filled with sound advice and bits of history. There’s a basic pasta recipe for those who want to make their own and tips for how to stock a pantry so one can make a variety of Italian dishes. Each pasta shape is described and then paired with a recipe.
For the frittata, Guarnaccia recommends cavatappi as his favorite pasta shape, but suggests any small pasta tubes, such as penne or ditalini, will do.
I made this recipe several times. First, I followed Guarnaccia’s formula with cavatappi, beef cubes and parmesan. Then, I scavenged one night and tried it with a small portion of leftover cooked elbow pasta, a few thick slices of beef pulled from the freezer, and a couple of seen-better-days broccoli stalks that I chopped up. For the cheese, I used grated cheddar.
Finally, I followed another of his suggestions and added a cup or so of leftover spaghetti in a meaty sauce as well as a handful of green peas and more parmesan to my frittata. Each was good and different from the other, turning this into my new little go-to recipe for when I’m stymied in the kitchen.
Guarnaccia’s cookbook may be aimed at kids (in the orecchiette chapter, he invites readers to “imagine sharing your secrets with a plate of pasta”), but it drew me in, too, with its winsome drawings and straightforward approach to getting food on the table.
As he notes, “Cooking is fun because you can prepare food exactly how you like it and then you get to eat what you made.”
Like this little cookbook, that statement is simple, true and offers a delightful perspective.
Cheesy Pasta and Beef Frittata
4 servings
Total time: 30 mins
Adapted from “The Story of Pasta and How to Cook It” by Steven Guarnaccia (Phaidon, 2023).
Ingredients
Fine salt
Four ounces dry cavatappi, elbow macaroni, ditalini, penne, or 1 1/2 cups cooked
Eight large eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
One cup (One ounce) coarsely grated parmesan cheese, divided, plus more for serving
One handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives or cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving (optional)
Four ounces beef cubes
Directions
Bring a small pan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente; drain.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pepper and Italian seasoning, if using. Add about two-thirds of the cheese and the fresh herbs, if using, and stir until everything is well combined.
Position an oven rack six inches from the broiler and preheat to HIGH.
In a 10-inch ovenproof, non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the meat is crisp all over, four to five minutes.
Stir in the cooked pasta and beaten eggs until well combined. Cook until the frittata is golden brown on the bottom, peeking with a spatula, about three minutes. The top should still be soft and unset. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for three to four minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning, or until the top of the frittata is just set and starting to get golden brown in spots.
Remove from the oven and let rest 3 minutes before sliding the frittata out of the pan onto a cutting board or plate. Cut into wedges, top more fresh herbs and/or cheese, if desired, and serve.
Nutrition | Per serving (1/4 of the frittata): 390 calories, 24g carbohydrates, 398mg cholesterol, 21g fat, 1g fibre, 23g protein, 9g saturated fat, 776mg sodium, 1g sugar. – Ann Maloney
