Oven-Baked Frittata Cups with Zucchini

Rich, delicate and fluffy, oven-baked frittata with zucchini made in cute cup portions.
Perfect for a fun Sunday brunch or a party with friends!

Here is another easy-to-make recipe for a dish that you can serve in many occasions. From a Sunday brunch to a light family dinner. From a party with friends to a picnic at the beach. Also, perfect for your kids' lunch box. They will have a full serving of protein and vegetables, all in one cup. And it's a cute way to disguise the zucchini in the eggs. Those picky eaters won't even know what's hiding in there.
I posted this recipe before, but as always, I made small changes. And I made a video too. Of course! It's so much easier when you can see all the steps and how easy it is. You will want to try this next Sunday. I'm sure!

With the ingredients in this recipe, you can make 8 frittata cups. These are relatively small servings, so keep that in consideration when planning your menu. If you are serving these for brunch with a salad, and a slice of bread, I would count 3 to 4 cups (or more?!? ;) for each person.
If these frittata cups are just one of a many other dishes served, then I suggest preparing one or two frittata each.
For this recipe I, once again, used my silicone muffin molds: non-stick, easy to clean and very durable. To remove these frittatas from the cups, just carefully run a round-tip knife around the edges, and help yourself with a spoon to scoop the frittata out.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 8 cups (serving 2 to 4 people)

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of ricotta cheese, better if whole milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 zucchini
• salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Preparation time: about 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, with the ricotta cheese, the milk, and salt.

2. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and whisk a bit more.

3. Fill 8 muffin tins (3/4 of the way) with the egg mixture. Grease with spray if you are not using a silicone baking pan. Note: I'm only showing 6 in the picture, but with these ingredients you should be able to fill 8. Do not fill to the top, or there won't be enough room for the zucchini.

4. Cut two zucchini paper thin, using a sharp knife, a peeler or a mandolin.

5. Place about 5 or 6 slices of zucchini on top of each other as shown in my picture. And roll them up.

6. Place one roll of zucchini in each cup.

7. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for  25-30 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden and the eggs are set.


8. Remove by running a round-tip knife around the edges, and helping yourself with a spoon if necessary. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Creamy Penne Pasta with Zucchini, Pancetta and Ricotta Cheese

Perfect one-dish dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes

Creamy and rich penne pasta with wholesome zucchini, flavorful pancetta and delicate ricotta cheese.

Here is another recipe great for a family dinner on a busy weeknight. 

This pasta is super easy to prepare. It won't take you more than 30 minutes from start to finish. And it makes a healthy, complete and balanced one-dish meal. It has a full serving of  vegetables, carbs from the pasta, proteins from the ricotta and Parmesan cheese and ... oh well, the pancetta. Not as healthy as the rest, but it's sinfully delicious taste makes this dish incredibly flavorful. 

Here are other simple and quick pasta recipes with zucchini that are ready in less than 30 minutes. Buon appetito!

Fettuccine Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplants, and Peppers

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Zucchini

Penne Pasta with Shrimps and Zucchini

Ingredients: serving 4

• half onion
• 4 medium zucchini
• 8 oz  (225 gr) whole milk ricotta
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 3 oz (85 gr) of pancetta (or thin sliced bacon)
• 12 oz (225 gr) of penne pasta (or other shape)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Directions:

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the penne pasta when boiling following the directions on the box.
In a large skillet, saute' the chopped onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat.

Step 2: Add the zucchini cut in small pieces. Saute' over medium-high flame for 7-10 minutes. Season with salt.

Step 3: Add the pancetta cut in strips and saute' for a couple of more minutes.

Step 4: In a bowl prepare the ricotta by mixing it with a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, the Parmesan cheese and about a 1/4 cup of hot water from the pot where the pasta is cooking. Mix and make it creamy.

Step 5: Drain the pasta and toss it in the skillet with the zucchini and the ricotta. Serve immediately. 

Buon appetito!

Creamy Pasta with Shrimps and Zucchini

Creamy and rich. Fresh and delicate. 

This one-dish pasta dinner is made with shrimps, zucchini, saffron, heavy cream and fresh Italian parsley.

Simple ingredients to make a very special weeknight dinner.

No need to wait for a special occasion to try this pasta with shrimps and zucchinis.

You should make your family dinner remarkable and unique every night. And you can do that when you have a recipe like this one: easy to follow and quick to make. 

This pasta features few simple ingredients into a super creamy and rich dish. The buttery and sweet flavor of the shrimps perfectly combines with the delicate taste of the zucchini. All mixed together with velvety heavy cream, a dash of lavish saffron, and a sprinkle of fresh Italian parsley. Delicious! 

Here is the recipe for you.

Ingredients: serving 4

• 1 lb of uncooked, cleaned whole shrimps
• 2 zucchinis
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced or crushed
• a pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 12 oz of cellentani pasta, or other short like penne, rigatoni or fusilli

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Clean the shrimps and cut about half in pieces and leave the rest uncut. Cut the zucchini in thin slices. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, saute' the garlic (minced or crushed) with the olive oil. After one minute add the shrimps and the zucchini. Salt to taste, and saute' for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
Stir in the saffron and the heavy cream. Simmer over medium-low heat until the zucchini are ready, as soft or as crunchy as you like them. Turn off the heat if ready before the spaghetti, add some cream if the sauce dries up too much. Adjust with salt if necessary.

Step 3: Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, toss quickly mixing well with the sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

Frittata Cups with Zucchini and Ricotta cheese

Extremely soft, fluffy and simple to make

oven-baked frittata cups with zucchini and ricotta cheese

Here is a recipe that you will want to know about. This is one of those easy-to-make dishes perfect for every occasion: from a Sunday brunch to a light family dinner; from a party with friends to a picnic on the beach. Also, way not pack it in your kids lunch box? They will have a full serving of protein and vegetables, all in one cup. And it's a cute way to disguise the zucchini in the eggs. Those picky eaters won't even know what's hiding in there.
For this recipe I used my silicone muffin molds. As you know, I really love them. You don't need to spray or grease with anything. They are non-stick, easy to clean and very durable. A great investment! I use them not just for muffins, but many other recipes.
Also, think about it: making food in smaller size always helps control your waistline. As I said many times when readers or friends ask me what is my secret to stay in good shape while eating all the food that I cook: portion control ... and regular exercise of course!

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of ricotta cheese, better if fresh and whole milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk
• 1 large (or  small) zucchini
• 6 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Preparation time: about 40 minutes
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, with the ricotta cheese, milk, and salt.

2. Fill 6 muffin tins with the egg mixture. Grease with spray if you are not using a silicone baking pan.

3. Cut the zucchini paper thin, using a sharp knife, or a peeler. Place a few slices of zucchini in each cup, starting from the outer edge moving in.

4. Top each cup with one tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

5.Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the egg are set in the middle. Carefully run a knife along the edges and remove the frittatas from the muffin cups and serve immediately.

Enjoy!