Asparagus and Ricotta Frittata

With the spinach ready to harvest in our garden and plenty of fresh asparagus in the shops I couldn't resist experimenting with them both - the result is this delicious Asparagus and Ricotta Frittata. Easy to make, full of filling protein and packed with nutrient-rich vegetables this feels like a delicious summer treat and it makes a great addition to lunch boxes and picnic hampers. This is essentially a reworking of the classic crust-less quiche so popular on many healthy eating plans, but I've refined the measurements to my taste and added some different elements that I've found make this a more tempting treat. 

You can use any oven-proof dish you wish to make this - I went for a square deep Pyrex glass dish I usually make lasagne in as I find a square or oblong shape portions more useful for lunchboxes. Depending on whether you use ceramic, glass or metal tins and the diameter of your dish, the times may vary slightly on my timings below. However, it really doesn't matter if it goes for a bit longer than needed as the topping will just bronze further if it has a few more minutes than strictly necessary. The only advice I would stress is to avoid using a loose-bottomed or spring-form cake tin. I've been through that egg-coated oven floor pain so you don't have to! 

You can switch around the veg used here as you wish and it is a great recipe for using up what is left in the fridge. If you can't get ricotta, then you could use a low-fat soft cheese alternative like Philadelphia Lightest, but I would say the creamy, yet fresh taste of ricotta really is ideal here. I realise that this uses up 1/3 of your HEA allowance on Slimming World, but please don't be tempted to skip this ingredient as it really is the key to making this something a bit special.

As with all recipes and meal plans on the blog I have highlighted the protein sources (P foods) in red, the speed (S) foods in green, healthy extra allowances in blue and syns, with syn values in brackets in orange.

Asparagus and Ricotta Frittata

Serves 6 portions - 1/3 HEA per portion or 2 syns 

6 eggs
4 tbsp quark 
1/2 yellow or orange pepper, sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
250g asparagus spears
Medium sized head of broccoli, broken into small florets
80g leaf spinach, finely chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
180g of Ricotta 
Spray oil
Ground seasalt
Ground black pepper


Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees fan / 200 degrees electric / Gas Mark 6.

Place the small broccoli florets into a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 6-8 minutes to slightly soften them. 

Whilst the broccoli steams, wilt the spinach down - either with a small splash of water in the microwave for 2 minutes or in an additional steamer basket. 

Spray an oven-proof dish with spray oil and lay out the pepper slices.

Scatter over the chopped spring onions and then the steamed broccoli florets and the cherry tomatoes.

Bend the asparagus spears near to the root end - it will snap where the 'woody' part of the stem begins ensuring you get just the tender flesh. 

Lay the asparagus carefully over the other vegetables in a single layer. 

In a bowl mix the wilted spinach with the quark, salt and pepper. It is important to do this as the quark will help bring the temperature of the cooked spinach down and avoid it instantly starting to scramble the eggs. 

Beat the eggs thoroughly in a jug and then spoon in the spinach mixture and mix thoroughly. 

Pour this mixture carefully over all of the vegetable mixture. Using the back of a spoon encourage it into all the gaps in the vegetables you can see. 

Using a teaspoon, dot the ricotta in little clumps across the surface of the dish evenly and finish with a grind of black pepper. 

Bake in the oven for around 20 - 25 minutes - but this time will depend on the size and nature of your baking dish. The key thing you are looking for is browning of the ricotta topping and no wobble in the centre of the dish when shaken. 

Remove from the oven and either serve hot or leave to cool thoroughly before slicing into portions and storing in the fridge for up to 5 days.