Leftover Pasta Frittata Recipe

This Zucchini, Bean & Pasta Frittata Recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover pasta. It's nutritious, hearty, and filling, making it a great recipe for meal prepping a week's worth of breakfasts on-the-go. Plus it's extremely customizable. You can substitute whatever vegetables, beans, and cooked pasta you have in your kitchen.

And though many Italian-Americans only make Frittata di Pasta when they have leftover pasta on hand, you do not have to use leftover pasta. You can absolutely make it using freshly-made pasta. 

Since it's so hearty, it pairs incredibly well with a light, crisp salad such as my recipe for this Fennel Arugula Citrus salad. SUCH a great recipe to meal prep.

How to make a "Frittata di Pasta"

Making this Pasta Frittata Recipe is simple because the whole thing is made in a cast iron skillet. (Except for the pasta) You just sauté the vegetables. Then add the beans and cooked pasta. Then add a delicious egg mixture. And finally, bake until cooked through. 

Ingredients 

There are only 6 ingredients in this frittata recipe, plus olive oil, salt, and pepper.

For the vegetable-pasta mixture 

• 6-8 ounces of any pasta you want. Long pasta is common, but I prefer short pasta like fusilli. Brami pasta has a lot of protein because it's made with both semolina flour and lupini beans.
• 1 pound of zucchini or other vegetable such as red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, or asparagus. You can also use any cooked vegetable you may have leftover in your refrigerator.
• 5 ounces of beans such as Brami Lupini Beans (pictured), chick peas, or cannelini beans. Lupini Beans are similar in texture to fava beans and edamame beans.
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

For the Egg Mixture 

• 12 eggs
• ½ cup of sour cream
• ½ cup of milk

Instructions 

This Pasta Frittata Recipe takes about 1 hour to make, including prep time. 

Step 1: Preparation. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're not using leftover pasta, boil a pot of salted water to make pasta. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and rinse it under cool water, and set it aside. (it doesn't have to be cooked al dente) Dice the zucchini, and set it aside as well.

Step 2: Make the egg mixture. Whisk eggs, milk, and sour cream in a large bowl. It's OK if the sour cream doesn't fully incorporate into the eggs. Sour cream adds such a lovely creamy texture and complex flavor to the pasta frittata.

Step 3: Sauté. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the zucchini and season with the salt and pepper. Sauté, only stirring occasionally so the zucchini can brown nicely against the bottom of the pan. Sauté until the zucchini has darkened nicely, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Step 4: Add the pasta and beans. Turn off the heat, and fold in the Lupini Beans (or whichever bean you're using) and cold pasta. (Room temperature pasta is fine too. But hot pasta as will start to cook the egg, which we don't want to happen yet) 

Step 5: Add the eggs and bake. Pour the eggs evenly all over the pasta mixture. Then transfer the skillet to the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. (The eggs should be set in the center)

Step 6: Serve. Slice it and serve, or wrap in individual servings for breakfast or lunch the next day.

Note: Unlike a classic frittata, this pasta frittata recipe has no flipping process. it's more similar to a crustless quiche.

Storing Leftover Pasta Frittata

This Leftover Pasta Frittata Recipe is quite large (hence the whole dozen eggs and 6-8 ounces of pasta). In fact it's meant to be eaten throughout the week. So you'll want to know how to store the leftover-leftover pasta frittata.

For the best re-heating results, I like to slice the whole frittata, then wrap each individual slice in tin foil and refrigerate them. This allows me to remove one slice from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it in the toaster oven on its foil wrapper. To reduce waste, you could store the pasta frittata slices in an airtight container instead of tin foil. 

You can also place individual servings in the freezer if you don't plan on eating them all this week. Reheat them the same way you would the refrigerated slices. Simply place a piece of frittata in the toaster set to "bake" and cook until heated through. You can also microwave it in 30 second increments for a faster approach.

Pasta Frittata FAQ

What does Frittata mean? 

Frittata is an Italian word meaning "fried" and it refers to the way the eggs usually fry against the bottom and edge of the pan. Just like with quiche, there are many versions of frittata. But Pasta Frittata specifically comes from the Campania region of Italy (where Naples is located).

But to be very honest: I do not like very crispy brown eggs. That's why this frittata recipe is not meant to be crispy.

It's actually more like a quiche. The eggs are added to the pan off-heat so they don't take on too much color too quickly. The oven heat does all the work. 

What other ingredients can I add to this pasta frittata? 

This Pasta Frittata recipe doesn't call for cheese because it has sour cream that gives it a slightly sour taste and creamy texture. However, you can certainly add cheese to your pasta frittata. Common frittata and quiche cheeses are: parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and cheddar cheese. 

You can also add roasted peppers, fresh herbs, canned corn... whatever you have in your pantry!

Should I add anything to the top of the frittata? 

This recipe doesn't specifically call for any toppings because it's meant to serve as a next-day meal and adding toppings would make storage more tricky.

However, some common frittata toppings you can add after reheating your slice of frittata are: leftover meat sauce or tomato sauce, sliced tomatoes, a lightly-dressed arugula salad, and fresh herbs. 

Do I need a Cast Iron Skillet to make this Pasta Frittata Recipe? 

You don't have to use a cast ion skillet, but you must make sure you use an ovenproof skillet. However, I highly suggest purchasing this Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. It's inexpensive and lasts forever. Plus, it has so many uses. 

What other Pastas can I use? 

Like I mentioned earlier, any pasta will work when making Frittata di Pasta. Angel hair, spaghetti, fusilli, or even tiny pastas like orzo. Most recipes you'll find online are for spaghetti frittata. As you can see from the photos, I use fusilli or "corkscrew" pasta. 

Leftover Pasta Frittata Recipe

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