This delicious spinach frittata is perfect for breakfast or brunch. It is easy to make, uses just 5 ingredients, and only takes about 30 minutes start to finish. For this Italian recipe I use frozen spinach, making it convenient without relying on having fresh spinach on hand.
Spinach Frittata
There are many ways to make spinach frittatas, but of course my favorite is Italian-style. This recipe is simple and the primary ingredients are spinach, egg, and cheese, all of which are readily available at any store.
If you’ve ever made an egg omelette, you can make a frittata. Even if you’re a novice, you’ll be surprised at how simple this actually is. The best piece of advice I can give is to don’t rush the cooking.
Cooking it at too high a temp can cause it to brown too quickly before the rest of the frittata can set.
Also, using too little oil on the bottom can result in the frittata sticking to the pan making it hard to get out.
Frittata vs Omelette
A frittata is different from an omelet because it’s not stuffed with the spinach and folded over. Instead we mix all the egg and spinach and other ingredients together and cook it open-faced. We top it off by broiling it for 1 minute to ensure the center is fully cooked.
A Quick Note About the Spinach
You might be wondering why I’m using frozen spinach and not fresh spinach. The fact is that although fresh spinach can be used, unless I’m planning ahead, I just don’t keep fresh spinach on hand. I always have frozen spinach in the freezer and so that’s what I always use in 99% of my recipes.
You won’t miss out on any massive infusions of flavor that fresh spinach would otherwise provide. Ready to get started?
Ingredients
Here are my notes for the ingredients required. Specific measurements are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Spinach
As I mentioned above, I use frozen spinach. It’s easy, quick and super convenient. I use pre chopped spinach which saves me a step.
Eggs
Not much to say here about the eggs. We’ll be adding the eggs after we saute the onions.
Onions
I use yellow or white onion. This is more personal preference. I’ve used red onion as well in my frittatas, but I really think a regular onion does the job quite nicely. It’s flavorful, easy to find, and goes with the spinach.
Romano Cheese
I like using Romano cheese for this recipe for the flavor. If all you have is Parmesan, you can use that. I really recommend using a good quality cheese and not going for the cheapest in the aisle. And if you can buy a block of cheese and grind/grate it yourself, that’s always the best. I have an article on how to grind Romano using a food processor.
Olive oil
I recommend using extra virgin olive oil. We use it for coating the pan that the frittata will cook in. Too little olive oil and it can stick to the bottom – same principle as baking a pizza.
How to Make Spinach Frittata
If you’ve never made a frittata, don’t be intimidated. The first frittata I ever made was an Italian potato frittata. And as I always say, if I can do it, so can you!
I’ll step you through the entire process, so make sure to check out all my notes as well.
Chop your onions into small pieces about the size of peas. Then heat the olive oil in an oven-safe medium saucepan over medium heat, add your chopped onion.
Stir so that the onions are fully coated with the oil. Saute for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent and slightly tender. Don’t let them brown.
If they seem to be cooking too fast, turn the heat down to medium-low.
While the onions are cooking, it’s time to get the spinach ready. Since we are using frozen spinach, we want to make sure it is thawed and drained of any excess liquid.
PRO TIP: I recommend thawing the spinach in the microwave. Then use your hands or strainer to press out the excess liquid. Otherwise the frozen spinach will take longer to cook down in the pan.
Add the spinach to the onions and cook over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes (depends on how much you squeeze out beforehand) until most of the spinach’s moisture is evaporated.
You can tell by pressing your spoon or spatula against the spinach. If it still puddles then it needs to cook more.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add in the Romano cheese. Using a whisk or fork, mix until blended. Keep in mind that the cheese will not dissolve, but you want it to be fully integrated.
When the spinach is done cooking, pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pan. Then using your spatula or spoon stir it around so that it is evenly spread throughout the pan.
Let the spinach frittata cook for 13 minutes over medium-low heat. While the frittata is cooking, pre-heat your oven to broil, making sure your rack is 6 inches from the top. If it’s too close to the broiler it will burn the frittata.
When the edges of the frittata are firm and center is slightly runny, it is ready to be placed in the oven under the broiler for 1 minute and no longer.
PRO TIP: If you prefer not to use a broiler, then continue cooking over the stove for another 5 minute or until the center is fully cooked and set. The problem with this method is that the edges might become overcooked, so just be careful and reduce the heat if needed.
Remove the frittata from the oven and let it cool slightly. Remember to be careful not to touch the pan’s handle since it is super-hot from the oven. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. 🙄
Now let’s eat!
How to Serve a Spinach Frittata
I like to serve the frittata warm. I also serve it with some toast and jam on the side. Use a fork. If you’re not sure how to best cut the frittata, do what I do – just slice it in half then in half again cross-wise and keep cutting it from one edge to another in perfect pie shapes.
You’ll end up with 8 slices, but I’d say realistically 4 servings if you consider two slices per person.
Trust me, either way it won’t last long on the table. This frittata in my photos was eaten by both my husband and me for lunch. It was delicious and it always makes my day when he eats my cooking and there are no leftovers!
You can also serve this frittata in a sandwich, such as between toasted slices of Italian bread or even on a roll. Any other bread you want to use is fine, but that’s my recommendation.
You can also cut it in slices and add it to a salad – this is an Italian method of serving some frittatas.
Besides toast, you can also serve your frittata with salad greens, fresh fruit, roasted potatoes, or with bacon on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as you’ll see in my recipe, I use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach and it turns out great.
Yes, you can make spinach frittata a day in advance and reheat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
You can use different types of cheeses for a spinach frittata. An Italian spinach frittata would use Romano or Parmesan cheese while a Greek frittata might use feta cheese. You can also use brie and gorgonzola cheese too.
Adding whole milk can help create a creamier texture to the frittata, but for an Italian spinach frittata we do not include milk since we are already using the cheese.
Similar Recipes
Here are some related recipes that you might also enjoy.
Potato Frittata is just as easy to make. I think it’s a little more filling than a spinach frittata simply because it uses potatoes instead of spinach.
Spinach and pasta – this is a great spinach recipe that also takes advantage of frozen spinach.
Spinach and ricotta pizza is another recipe that uses frozen spinach along with some ricotta cheese – delicious!
Variations
If there’s anything I encourage it’s for my readers to get creative or at least feel like they can adjust ingredients or amounts to suit their tastes. Of course if you change it too far, don’t tell me how it didn’t turn out and it’s all my fault. Just sayin…
Here are some suggestions.
- Add chopped garlic
- Add some Gorgonzola cheese for a creamy texture
- Add some mushrooms along with the spinach
- Top with red pepper flakes
- Top with some chopped tomatoes either at the end when broiling, or along with the spinach
I hope you enjoy your Spinach Frittata and find it easy to make and exciting to eat!
If you make any changes to the recipe and want to share it with me, please let me know in the comments below. I love to hear from my readers and I personally read every comment posted.
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Spinach Frittata
Equipment
- Oven-safe medium sauce pan
- Medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion chopped fine
- 1 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach
- 2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7 eggs
- 2/3 cup Romano grated cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan.2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Add the chopped onions and saute 5-8 minutes or until soft and translucent.1/2 onion chopped fine
- Thaw and squeeze out the excess liquid from the spinach.1 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach
- Add spinach to the onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until all liquid is evaporated.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl.7 eggs
- Add the Romano cheese to the eggs and mix well.2/3 cup Romano grated cheese
- When spinach has lost most of it's moisture from cooking, add in the egg and cheese mixture.
- Stir to make sure the egg and spinach are evenly blended, leaving no big clumps of spinach in a single spot.
- Cook the spinach and egg mixture for 13 minutes or until the sides are firm and the inside is only slightly runny.
- Place the frittata 6 inches below the broiler and broil for no more than 1 minute. Make sure center is firm.
- Remove from oven promptly and serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure to watch the frittata while it’s in the oven under the broiler. It cooks very fast and can easily overcook.
- If you want to avoid using the broiler, I recommend cooking the frittata at a lower temperature and using a cover the last 5 minutes. Make sure the center is fully cooked.
- If you don’t have Romano (Pecorino Romano), you can use Parmesan. Try to use a good quality cheese as the flavor will make all the difference.
- Try adding in additional Italian seasonings such as parsley or even basil.
- Serve with toast, on toasted bread, or even slice it up and place on top of a mixed green fresh salad with a good quality olive oil.
