Cheesy and sharp, this parmesan frittata is delicious to eat and beautiful to look at—a great dish to make when you’re serving a few friends on the weekend. Light and airy eggs surround thinly sliced shallot and grape tomatoes. But the best part is the cheesy topping.
This frittata is finished with a generous amount of parmesan cheese, giving an addicting salty, tangy flavor. While I like to add grape tomatoes and shallots, this recipe is also very forgiving, so you can also adapt the fillings to what you have around the house. What doesn’t parmesan taste good with?
While a bold flavor, parmesan does not add a lot of heaviness to the dish, making the dish taste fresh and light. I like to serve it with a lightly dressed salad with a little bit of cheese and chopped vegetables. I would also have a cappuccino or other milky espresso-based drink alongside it. If you’re looking for something totally different, try a sparkling cider, or other effervescent fruity drink for something light and fresh.
I like to lightly saute the shallots before using them in the dish. Let them sweat out and begin to turn translucent before removing them from the heat. However, we don’t want them to get browned and crispy. If that happens, you’ve cooked them too long.
What You Need To Make a Parmesan Frittata
This recipe requires large eggs, grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese, shallots, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I recommend looking for small grape tomatoes that have some give—these have the best flavor and texture for the frittata.
You can substitute the shallots for spring onions or scallions. Shallots have a slightly sweeter flavor, but scallions offer a less intense onion flavor that also works. I would avoid red onions as those can be overpowering.
Ingredients:
- Large eggs
- Grape tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese
- Shallot
- Ground pepper
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
Equipment:
This dish requires a sharp knife, a bowl, a whisk, a cutting board, and an oven-safe large skillet pan, casserole dish, or cast iron skillet. I also like to use a peeler to create big strips of cheese, but you can use a cheese grater or a knife.
I recommend having an oven mitt handy. You will be baking this dish in the oven and it’s easy to forget that the handle is hot when you go to remove the pan from the oven. A thick, doubled-over tea towel can also work, but be very careful. You may want to keep the handle covered because the handle will remain hot for a while, even after the dish has cooled.
How To Make a Parmesan Frittata
Prepare the vegetables: Thinly slice the shallots and halve the cherry tomatoes. In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil and lightly saute the shallots.
Prepare the eggs: Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare the cheese: Using a peeler, create thin flakes of cheese.
Assemble the Frittata: Pour the eggs into the cast iron skillet. Add halves of tomatoes. Add strips of cheese on top.
Bake: Place the frittata in an oven preheated to 350ºF and bake for 35-40 minutes. Once the eggs have set, remove the frittata from the oven.
Serve: Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
How should I arrange the tomatoes?
My recommendation is to keep the tomato cut side up when you bake this dish. They will release some liquid while they are cooking, and this will help the liquid evaporate from the frittata rather than go into the eggs. I think scattering them in a random pattern looks nice and rustic, but you can also arrange them in circles or lines throughout the dish.
What can I do with leftovers?
This frittata can easily be reheated in a warmed oven, set to 300ºF. You can also reheat in the microwave, but be careful not to overheat slices of a frittata as the eggs can become rubbery.
Can I add additional seasonings?
Yes! A little bit of chopped fresh basil would taste delicious in the dish. You can also add dried herbs like thyme or rosemary for an additional burst of flavor. If you use any spice mixes (like herbs de Provence), check to see if they have salt in them. If so, omit the salt you add to the eggs. The cheese is already very salty on its own, so adding salty herbs and more salt to the eggs would be too much.
Parmesan Frittata
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 15-20 grape tomatoes
- 4 oz parmesan cheese
- 1/2 shallot
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Thinly slice half of a shallot.
- Halve 15-20 cherry tomatoes.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.
- Lightly saute the shallots until they become slightly translucent.
- Whisk 3 large eggs in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Use a peeler to create thin flakes of cheese with 4 ounces of parmesan.
- Pour the eggs into the cast iron skillet.
- Add the tomato halves, arranging them with the cut side up.
- Add strips of cheese on top.
- Crack a little additional pepper on top.
- Bake the frittata for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven once the eggs have set.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy!
- Spaghetti and Meatball Frittata
- Ricotta Frittata
- Chicken Frittata
- Shrimp Frittata
- Spinach Artichoke Frittata
- Crab Frittata
- Easter Frittata
- Air Fryer Frittata
- What to Serve With a Frittata
Arielle is a food and drink photographer based in Washington, D.C. She was previously a social science researcher before she fell in love with photography.