An Italian Night

P1010069, originally uploaded by Kim De.

I love breakfast for dinner. I love a good frittata. Amazing that these two things are symbiotic!

Tonight we went with Italian flavors. Prosciutto and Apple Frittata with a Caprese Salad.

I must admit, as pretty as the salad is, it is so simple to make. I sliced various tomatoes and arranged them on a plate with buffalo mozzarella. I drizzled them with a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Basil from my deck finished off the combo. Almost a crime!

I have another confession to make - tonight's frittata was a combination of two recipes, plus my own ideas. I have a basic recipe, but as this dish is extremely forgiving, you could do many things to it. So I decided my frittata would have a touch of prosciutto, instead of milk or cream as a binder I would add mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese would be needed as the other salt, and to add a contrast? Sliced roma apple. I think the plan worked. The meat was an amazing salty contrast to the sweet of the apple.

The picture? Well, the phone was ringing as the oven timer was buzzing - basically I didnt do it. Trust me. It was pretty. Picture the light yellow eggs, the diced pink meat, the ribbons of green basil and the red from the apple peel. A beautiful presentation.

Instead, I included a picture of my dog, Foxy, and the rough life she leads!

Prosciutto and Apple Frittata (Adapted from recipes by Giada and Everyday Food Magazine)

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot , chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
1/4 cup marscapone cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 ounces sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
1 gala apple, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Heat the oven to 350.

Heat the oil in a heavy 9 1/2-inch-diameter skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute over medium-low heat until the shallot is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the prosciutto and saute another 3 minutes or until crisp.

Whisk the eggs, cheese, 2 T Parmesan, and basil in a medium bowl to blend. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Lay the apples over the top of the egg, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until the egg mixture is almost set but the top is still loose, about 3 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven. Bake until the top is set and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a plate.