Easter Brunch with Family and Friends

Easter Pasta Frittata

I love holidays where everyone comes together in one place. It's lovely to have friends and family here, in my home, having fun and sharing a meal. It's important to me that my home is a place of comfort and peace to people who visit, and I try hard to make it so. I also want the food to be great too, and since I cook gluten free and vegetarian, I feel as if I have to work even harder so people don't notice what they are missing. So far, so good.


Beautiful gluten-free dessert table. GF carrot cake, fresh fruit, chocolate dipped macaroons and more. Yum!

Today was no exception. Easter is always a great day for brunch and since my sister was here visiting from New Orleans, along with the rest of the family living here and my best friend and her family, we had a house full of joy and happiness. I couldn't decide what to cook until my sister requested the frittata I had made while visiting her last year. No problem. I switched it up a bit by roasting some great veggies the night before, making preparation much easier this morning. Make this when you've got company coming and you don't want to spend all your time in the kitchen. Along with a salad, crackers and a casserole my sister made, we were all very well fed.

Easter Frittata
1 butternut squash, cut into chunks
1 leeks, chopped
2 carrots sliced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 large red pepper, cut into chunks
Olive oil
salt/pepper
3 cups fresh spinach
1/2 package Trader Joe's Brown Rice Pasta (or any kind you choose)
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded cheese (leave out if going nondairy)
6 egg whites
4 eggs
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1. Set oven to 375 degrees
2. Roast veggies in a shallow pan with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste for about 45 minutes. Take it out and stir 2-3 times while cooking. If doing this the night before, just refrigerate overnight.
3. Cook pasta according to directions, leaving it a little al dente since it will be cooking in the frittata also.
4. Add 1/2 cup marinara sauce to pasta and stir.
5. In a large skillet with metal handle, heat veggies and spinach until warm and wilted.
6. Add pasta to skillet and mix.
7. Beat eggs and egg whites with nutmeg, garlic and parsley.
8. Add egg mixture to pan, pouring over veggies and pasta.
9. Cook frittata over low heat until just about set (jiggle the pan to see if the eggs are set in the middle.)
10. Sprinkle cheese over top of frittata and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully.
11. Be sure to let this sit for about 5-10 minutes for it to set up.
12. Slide onto a large serving plate and serve with marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

This went over very big today and I heard a few times how pasta and eggs shouldn't go together. But everyone kept going back until the plate was clean, so I guess they do go together after all. This is a great dish to make in a small amount with leftover pasta, eggs and some spinach. Make it easy and quick, and healthy!

Enjoy!