Asparagus & Goat Cheese Frittata

I’ll eat fresh asparagus any time I can get it (except, of course, for dessert) and I tend to eat quite a bit of it during the spring when it has just come into season and is at its best. This Asparagus & Goat Cheese Frittata is an excellent breakfast or brunch option for asparagus fans who want to make the most of this delicous vegetable while it is at its peak.

The frittata starts with lots of fresh asparagus. I used just under a pound of asparagus, but trimmed the stalks down slightly to eliminate any coarse ends before starting to cook them. I left half of my asparagus in long stalks that were about the diameter of my pan, while I trimmed the rest down into 1-inch portions. The variation between the longer and shorter pieces gives the frittata a beautiful look and helps to showcase just how much of it is in here. A lightly seasoned egg mixture is poured over the asparagus after they’ve been cooked until they’re fork-tender. I used fresh dill to season the eggs, along with salt and pepper, because it goes well with asparagus and has a great spring flavor in my mind. Dried dill can also be used. Goat cheese is crumbled over the top of the eggs, then the frittata is transferred to the oven to finish baking. The finished dish is not only delicious, but beautiful to look at plenty of vibrant green asparagus in each piece.

You can use either a 10 or 12-inch skillet for this recipe. A 10-inch skillet will produce a slightly thicker frittata, but the cooking time will be very similar either way. Be sure that your pan is oven-safe, since this dish starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. This frittata is really designed to serve four, but it could be stretched to serve six if you are serving other dishes along with it for a brunch. For instance, if you have sausages, homemade coffee cake and fruit salad on your table, you can definitely get away with dividing this into six servings. That said, it is good enough that people might want seconds, so going with one frittata per four diners is a safe bet.

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Frittata
2 tbsp olive oil
12-16 oz asparagus
6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2-3 tsp fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp ground dill)
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
2-oz goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.
In a 10- or 12-inch oven save skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Cut the ends off the asparagus. Leave half of the stalks long (long enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and chop the remaining half into 1-inch lengths. Add to pan with olive oil and cook, covered, until fork-tender – about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over asparagus, gently shaking the pan to ensure asparagus is completely surrounded by egg. Crumble goat cheese into chunks smaller than 1/2-inch and sprinkle evenly over the egg mixture. Cook until edges of the egg are just starting to set.
Transfer pan to oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until eggs are completely set.
Slide a spatula around the sides of the frittata to loosen, then slide out onto a serving plate. Slice and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.